Rolls-Royce to supply second hybrid system to Norwegian Coastal Administration vessel

The Norwegian Coastal Administration’s new multipurpose vessel OV Ryvingen will be its second to combine conventional diesel power with battery-driven operation. The battery pack with which Rolls-Royce has been commissioned to equip the Ryvingen will have an available capacity of 2,000kWh, representing a substantial increase from the 850kWh capacity installed aboard its hybrid sister ship, the Bøkfjord. It also has twice the capacity of Norway’s first fully electric car and passenger ferry, Ampere. The Ryvingen has an operating profile that allows it to run on battery power alone for several hours, without using the diesel engine. In addition, the batteries will provide power when the vessel is docked, so the diesel engines will not have to be kept running. The batteries can be recharged from an onshore power supply in ports where this is available. Both the Bøkfjord and the Ryvingen are multipurpose vessels, which perform operations relating to oil spill protection and the maintenance of shipping lanes. They are the third and fourth vessels in the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s fleet renewal programme, comprising six to eight ships. Rolls-Royce has signed its contract to deliver the hybrid system with the shipyard, Fitjar Mekaniske Verksted, in Norway. This partnership has resulted in the Ryvingen’s ability to store and reuse the surplus heat from its main engine to heat the crew’s quarters when the ship is in port. In addition to the hybrid system with two generators and the battery pack, Rolls-Royce will deliver a Bergen main engine, permanent-magnet azimuth propulsion propellers and thrusters, the automation system, SAVe CUBE electrical system, dynamic positioning and control systems. John Roger Nesje, general manager sales, Rolls-Royce, said, “A complete systems delivery like this enables us to think efficiency and low emissions throughout the ship’s equipment. For example, the Ryvingen’s main engine will be connected to our electrical system, which means its rotational speed can constantly be varied depending on the load. So we save energy here as well.” The complete equipment package will also cut noise and vibration levels on board. The 46.6m-long and 12m-wide OV Ryvingen is scheduled for delivery towards the end of 2018.