Rolls-Royce Supplying Power For Offshore Drilling Rig

Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine has signed a contract to deliver five engines and four large UUC thrusters that will power a new offshore drilling rig to be built for Awilco Drilling plc at the Keppel Fels shipyard in Singapore.

The new semi-submersible drilling rig is of Moss CS 60 Eco MW design. The rig is designed for use in harsh environments and will be equipped and certified for drilling on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, including in the Barents Sea, in water depths up to 5000 ft. The rig is scheduled for delivery from Keppel Fels in 2021.

“This will be the most environmentally friendly drilling rig offered in the harsh environment market, and the first rig on the Norwegian continental shelf that answers to the Tier 3 requirements,” said Claus Mørch, project director, Awilco Drilling plc. “The efficiency of the Rolls-Royce equipment plays a vital role for us to be able to achieve this goal.”

The deliveries from Rolls-Royce consist of five B33:45L8A diesel engines and four UUC high torque thrusters (3800 kW). The scope of supply includes the five main generator sets, fully classed as emergency generators; generators from Rolls-Royce; an SCR system including a heat recovery system; air intake silencer and filter system.

The eight-cylinder B33:45L8A engine offers 4800 kW and has a bore and stroke of 330 X 450 mm.

The newly developed UUC 355 HT thruster gives a high thrust with a low power input on the thruster. These thrusters, in combination with the efficient Bergen diesel engines, deliver low fuel consumption, low emissions and an optimized electrical load balance on the rig. The Rolls-Royce said the certified condition-based monitoring system (CMS) also adds to operational savings for the operator.

“Our deliveries into this project demonstrate Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine’s strong position in the drilling segment and we are very pleased to be selected by Awilco Drilling and Keppel Fels as a supplier for the complete machinery package for this innovative newbuilding,” said  Ottar Ristesund, Rolls-Royce, senior vice president, Sales – Marine. “After several years without any newbuilding of offshore drilling rigs, this contract is a demonstration of optimism among the rig operators. We are confident that this will be a good project for all parties.”