SINOPACIFIC Delivers First Self-designed AHTS OSV - SPA 80

SINOPACIFIC’s independent design capability leaps to a new level

On March 28, 2012, China's leading private shipbuilding company SINOPACIFIC Shipbuilding Group's Zhejiang Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. held a grand naming ceremony for its first self-designed and the world’s most advanced small AHTS offshore support vessel(OSV) - SPA 80 Diesel Electric DPII 80mt AHTS. It was named BAHTERA MULIA and delivered to French shipowner BOURBON. Liberty 254, the last vessel of the BOURBON Liberty 200 series, was also delivered to BOURBON at the same time. BOURBON CEO Christian Lefevre and SINOPACIFIC Shipbuilding Group Chairman and CEO Simon Liang attended the event.

The delivery of the SPA 80 marks the completion of the transition from joint to independent design that the OSV design capability of SINOPACIFIC has, breaking the situation that preliminary designs of OSVs were mostly monopolized by European, American and Singaporean companies in the past. Today, SINOPACIFIC has mastered the entire design chain ranging from the front-end concept design and basic design to the back-end detailed design and production design, dramatically improving its overall planning factors over the OSV construction project, and enabling the Company to more quickly response with optimal solutions to customers. After nearly four years of design and research, in addition to SPA 80, SINOPACIFIC has also independently developed a series of OSV products such as the SPP 17, SPP 35 and SPU1000.

The SPA 80 was designed by SDA, a design company of SINOPACIFIC. It is a small, high-tech AHTS. Compared with the same type of AHTS designed by foreign design companies, the SPA 80 has not only absorbed their advantages, but also added many of the world's most advanced design and technical features. Its indicators, such as safety, reliability, maneuverability, operational efficiency, environmental friendliness have reached world class status.

The SPA 80 retains the core strengths of the original foreign design: it uses an all-electric propulsion system and is equipped with three diesel generator sets, several thrusters are installed on its bow and stern, and it has the power positioning capability of DPII (Dynamic Positioning Class II) and also adds the feature of the unmanned engine room control. These guarantee that the SPA 80 retains its excellent reliability and maneuverability even in harsh environments.

In addition, the SPA 80 also adds a number of innovative designs and technologies. Through a unique hull line design, the SPA 80 can reduce resistance in navigation while maintaining its great seakeeping ability and thus can reduce fuel consumption by more than 20% at the same economic speed. Meanwhile, through the adjustment of its layout, the SPA 80 increases its volume fraction by 7%, which means it can increase its cargo capacity by 7% with the same vessel volume. In addition, the SPA 80 has had its hull structure optimized, decreasing its weight by 9% while correspondingly increasing its deadweight. The reduction in fuel consumption and the increase in the volume and deadweight greatly enhance the operational efficiency of the vessel, thus enhancing the competitiveness of the shipowner.

In order to improve its environmental performance, the SPA 80 innovatively uses the fuel tank double hull protection design on the small AHTS to reduce the risk of environmental pollution caused by accidents. In addition, the SPA 80 has been added with the self-recovering function of oil slicks on the sea, and has obtained the Oil Recovery Ship certificate. Most importantly, the SPA 80 has also obtained the BV’ Clean Ship certificate for its foresight in meeting more stringent environmental requirements.

By virtue of the above advantages, SPA 80 has won customers' trust and acceptance, and SINOPACIFIC has obtained a one-time order of twenty such vessels from customers. After the delivery of the first SPA 80 vessel, SINOPACIFIC has delivered a total of 117 OSVs and continues to occupy the absolute leading market share of the global OSV market.

Specification of SPA 80

Length overall : 65.75m
Breadth, mould : 16.00 m
Depth mould : 6.00m
Design Draft : 4.30m
Max Draft : 5.07m
Generator power: 6,000 kw
Deadweight : 1,800mt
Service speed : 12.00knots
Bollard pull: 80mt