OREANDA-NEWS. Solid partnerships and reliable technologies are needed to realize bold goals and surmount herculean challenges. Recently, such a partnership was forged between GE (NYSE: GE) and Sembcorp Marine to realize one of the most challenging offshore projects in recent times—Heerema’s new Semi-Submersible Crane Vessel.

Based on a recently signed deal between GE’s Marine Solutions business and Sembcorp Marine, GE is set to provide technology that will be at the heart of the operations of Heerema’s new SSCV Sleipnir. At 220 meters long and 102 meters wide, Sleipnir is to become the world’s largest crane vessel. It will be equipped with two cranes, each boasting a lifting capacity of 10,000 tons, and will be used for offshore construction and heavy lifting.

To enable smooth operations onboard the vessel, GE is set to provide the electrical part of the power and propulsion system including 12 sets of 8-megawatt (MW) generators, eight units of 5.5-MW propulsion motors, medium-voltage switchboards, transformers and MV7000 drives. The power generated from the system will position and propel the vessel and provide electricity to the vessel’s onboard systems.

Overcoming various technical challenges, the solution provided by GE has been conceived from the ground up to meet requirements specific to this project. As a result, the entire power system is designed for fault tolerance in accordance with Lloyds Register’s Rules (DP AAA). While being more compact than standard solutions, GE’s solution has advanced sensors built in to help operators monitor the health of each piece of equipment in real time and signal possible malfunctions. Together, these measures result in a compact, yet highly sophisticated solution, which facilitates operations while helping to minimize downtime and increase availability.

Commenting on the deal, Martijn Wijdeveld, senior project manager, Heerema Offshore Services, said, “To power our newest SSCV, we wanted to collaborate with some of the best in business. In GE, we have found a partner that brings considerable experience and know-how into the project. We’re confident that their technology onboard our vessel will facilitate reliable operations.”

Mr. William Gu Wei Guang, head of Sembcorp Marine Rigs & Floaters, said, “To build this mammoth vessel for Heerema, we’re happy to be partnering with GE. We look forward to working with GE in installing high-quality and best-in-class solutions onboard the vessel.”

“We’re excited to be working on this project with Heerema,” said Tim Schweikert, president & CEO, GE’s Marine Solutions business. “Building a SSCV of such proportions comes with its own set of challenges. With our deep technical expertise, we’re confident of tackling these challenges and delivering a high-quality solution to enable flawless operations of the vessel. We also believe that this project will strengthen the relationship between GE, Heerema and Sembcorp Marine.”

GE leveraged its widespread diverse supply chain to source its scope of supply for this project, with the generators, switchboards, motors and variable frequency drives being sourced from various countries in Europe. The delivery plan of GE’s scope of supply is spread between September 2016 and May 2017, with the vessel scheduled to be commissioned by December 2018.