Wärtsilä to hybrid retrofit Harvey Gulf’s LNG-fueled PSV

Harvey Gulf, the New Orleans-based LNG-fueled PSV owner and LNG bunkering pioneer, has chosen Wärtsilä’s solution for the first LNG-fueled PSV hybrid retrofit in the Americas.

Wärtsilä said that the hybrid retrofit installation entails an energy storage solution from on the Harvey Energy platform supply vessel (PSV).

According to the company, the installation of a Wärtsilä 1450 kW battery hybrid solution will reduce the ship’s exhaust emissions, fuel consumption, and noise level. The overall fuel cost savings are expected to be in the range of 10 to 20 percent.

The battery capacity will be sufficient to sail in and out of harbor on electric power, while also providing hotel load electricity when docked. Furthermore, the ability to operate on battery power will assist maneuvrability during critical dynamic positioning operations at the offshore platform.

Included in the solution are the energy storage system, the energy management system, the transformer and drive, all mounted within a single container.

The project will also include integration with the existing Wärtsilä power distribution, power management, and integrated automation systems. The equipment is scheduled for delivery in December 2019.

It is worth noting that, while Harvey Energy will be the first PSV in the Americas to have a hybrid retrofit, Wärtsilä has already completed several hybrid retrofits for PSVs in Europe.