Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, LLC awarded Siemens Energy a contract to supply power, propulsion, and control systems along with Siemens Energy’s battery storage technology for two research vessels. The new ships, named the Oceanographer and Discoverer, are being acquired by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and will support various missions, including general oceanographic research and exploration, climate and ocean ecosystem studies, and worldwide ocean survey and data collection.
Siemens Energy will equip both ships with SiSHIP Blue Drive PlusC™ advanced diesel-electric propulsion systems and BlueVault™ Battery Storage Solutions. The combination of technologies will enable additional fuel savings and emissions reductions by allowing NOAA to optimize loading on variable speed diesel engines. It will also reduce maintenance associated with the engines.
Walter Thomassie, managing director, Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, L.L.C., stated, “The NOAA NAV Variant is truly the result of an intense, collaborative effort by the Thoma-Sea Marine team, analyzing and implementing the best solutions brought by the shipyard, our design agent (TAI), SE, and others. As the first shipyard to install and commission the Siemens Energy Blue Drive PlusC™ advanced diesel-electric propulsion systems in the United States, Thoma-Sea immediately recognized Siemens Energy was able to optimize the system according to our specifications to further enhance the vessel’s capabilities and efficiencies.”
Anil Raj PE, president and chief engineer of TAI Engineers, said, “TAI Engineers worked closely with Thoma-Sea Marine and Siemens Energy to develop, for the government, an optimal vessel design with superior performance. The Siemens Energy installation helped in providing an ideal solution to maximize the vessel’s endurance, reduce fuel consumption and minimize its carbon footprint.”
“We are proud to work alongside our project partners Thoma-Sea and TAI Engineers, and the operators NOAA, and Naval Sea Systems Command, to build these two state-of-the-art research vessels. The contract award is a testament to the performance and reliability of our advanced emissions reducing technologies families, which have developed an extensive track record across a broad range of marine applications in recent years,” said Luke Briant, Head of Marine Solutions Americas at Siemens Energy.