Hydroniq Coolers to Deliver Seawater Cooling System to Cable Lay Vessel

Norwegian shipyard Ulstein Verft has contracted Hydroniq Coolers to deliver the seawater cooling system to a cable lay vessel it is constructing for Nexans Subsea Operations.

The CLV Nexans Aurora will play a vital role in installation of Nexans’ HV submarine cables that will connect offshore wind farms to the grid, supporting electrification of offshore petroleum installations and creating interconnectors between countries.

Under the contract, Aalesund-based Hydroniq Coolers will supply its Pleat seawater cooling system for the CLV Nexans Aurora. The Pleat coolers will provide cooling of the vessel’s main engine and auxiliary systems through the use of seawater. Hydroniq Coolers has not disclosed the value of the contract.

The patented Pleat is a module-based titanium cooler for seawater to freshwater, with design pressure 6 bars and design temperature of 0-95°C.

“Users of the Pleat benefits from long service intervals, which is an advantage for vessels that operate offshore for long periods at a time. Further, one crew member can easily maintain and clean the Pleat within one hour, because compared to a traditional heat exchangers one Pleat cooling element is equal to approximately 15 plates,” says Hans Robert Almestad, vice president of sales and marketing at Hydroniq Coolers.

Marine cooling systems are utilised to reduce temperatures in the ship’s engines and other auxiliary systems through use of seawater to avoid overheating of the engine and other critical systems. Hydroniq Coolers will manufacture at assemble the Pleat cooler at its headquarters in Aalesund, Norway, and deliver it to Ulstein Verft in Ulsteinvik, Norway.

CLV Nexans Aurora is a DP3 cable laying vessel that will be outfitted for power cable laying, including bundle laying, cable jointing and repair and cable system protection and trenching. The vessel is developed for operations in rough weather and has high manoeuvrability and station keeping capabilities.

The advanced cable laying vessel has a turntable with a large cable capacity of 10,000 tonnes, and the fibre optic basket holds 450 tonnes. The vessel is 31 m wide, 149.9 m long, with a deadweight of 17,000 tonnes, and she can accommodate 90 people. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2021.

“This is an impressive cable layer which will support both energy interconnections worldwide, as well as offshore wind. We are proud to be chosen as supplier to CLV Nexans Aurora,” says Hans Robert Almestad.

Hydroniq Coolers delivers marine cooling solutions to vessels that operate within offshore, shipping, cruise, passenger transport, fishery and fish farming. Shipowners, yards and ship designers are among the company’s customers and cooperation partners. The company is owned by Norwegian investment company SMV Invest AS (formerly Sperre Mek. Verksted AS).

CLV Nexans Aurora illustration by Skipsteknisk.