Siemens Energy has been awarded a contract from Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors to provide power, propulsion and control systems as well as lithium-ion battery storage technology for two vessels to be acquired by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration for environmental and oceanographic research, survey and exploration missions.
As part of the contract, Siemens Energy will equip the two ships, named the Oceanographer and Discoverer, with its SiSHIP Blue Drive PlusC diesel-electric propulsion systems and its BlueVault Battery Storage Solutions products to lower fuel consumption and reduce CO2 emissions for each vessel by approximately 5,700 tons per year, the company said Monday.
Luke Briant, head of Siemens Energy’s Americas-based marine solutions business, said, “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.”
While the company’s SiSHIP Blue Drive PlusC has been installed on more than 80 marine vessels globally, Thoma-Sea will be the first shipyard in the United States to install the system.
The ships, which are scheduled to be operational in 2024 and 2025 respectively, will have the capacity to accommodate 28 scientists and host a 20-person crew.
The research vessel project represents a collaboration between Thoma-Sea, TAI Engineers, NOAA and the Naval Sea Systems Command.
This contract award continues Siemens’ environmental and efficiency work. In May, Siemens booked a $60 million task order to implement energy-efficient systems for the U.S. Air Force’s Dyess Base in Texas.