DSIC, Wärtsilä enter joint project agreement for shuttle tanker development

The joint project is intended to generate a high level design concept with a dynamic positioning system that can be offered to potential owners, Wärtsilä said.    Technology group Wärtsilä and Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC), a part of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corp. (CSIC), have signed a joint industry project cooperation to develop a preliminary production level design for a 127,000-dwt shuttle tanker that may be built by DSIC, the two firms revealed Thursday.
   Although the agreement was not publicly revealed until last week, it was reached by the two parties in October.
   With the demand for shuttle tankers projected to increase, the joint project is intended to generate a high level design concept with a dynamic positioning (DP) system that can be offered to potential owners, Wärtsilä explained in a statement.
   By having a ready and approved design available, the building period can be significantly reduced, the company said.
   “This project is based on market demand forecasts for the future,” said Liu Wenmin, senior expert of CSIC.
   Wärtsilä said that it will provide technical design support for the project, which includes developing an optimized propulsion and thruster solution and machinery with a high-level electric configuration for the vessel’s DP control system.
   “We are excited to enter into this agreement that offers a proactive approach to meeting the future needs of the tanker sector,” Wärtsilä Marine Solutions Sales Vice President Aaron Bresnahan said.