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Offshore Ship Designers unveils new series of Ice Class vessel designs

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The Netherlands-based Offshore Ship Designers (OSD) has unveiled a new series of Ice Class vessel designs, especially suited for marine services around the development of new arctic ports, terminals and offshore structures.

The vessel design, operating under arctic conditions, has the ability to deal with the presence of first-year or floating ice, cold conditions and less developed shore facilities. Apart from the ability of the vessels to perform their specific tasks, typical design requirements are increased strength, special installations for tank heating and winterization, high manoeuvrability and limited draft. 

OSD has gained extensive experience with the development of the shallow-draft anchor-handling tug supply vessels Arctic and Antarctic for Ark Shipping. Arctic and Antarctic were designed in close co-operation with the owner, have a Bureau Veritas 1A Ice Class Notation, and are fully equipped to operate in the challenging and extreme conditions of the Caspian Sea, where ice formation of around 80 cm during the winter period is not exceptional. 

 “We have incorporated feedback from our clients into the designs. As such, the new OSD ice-class series is a response to identified market needs, covering a variety of tasks, such as supply of bulk and break cargo, towing, anchor handling, ice management, personnel transfer, environmental clean-up and safety/stand-by duties,” said Herm Jan de Vries, technical manager at OSD.

 “In order to meet these diverse roles, the propulsion plant of the vessels can be adapted to suit the operational profile. Options include installation of controllable-pitch or fixed-pitch propellers, with or without nozzle, driven by a diesel direct, hybrid or full diesel electric power plant. The use of podded propellers is also possible. In this way, optimal performance can be achieved in various conditions such as maximum bollard pull, higher speed transfer duties, slow-speed duties for ice management or stand-by duties,” de Vries explained.

The designs are available, as standard, in three different lengths at 50 m, 65 m and 80 m, and have a bollard pull ranging from 45 up to 70 tonnes.