Hybrid CTV handed over by Diverse Marine
The HST Ella has been delivered to its owner, HST Marine (Source: HST)
26m-long hybrid crew transfer vessel (CTV), HST Ella, designed by UK ship design firm Chartwell Marine and built at Isle of Wight-based Diverse Marine, has been delivered to HST Marine, an offshore vessel services company based on the UK’s south coast. The vessel has now embarked on its first contract at the East Anglia 1 wind farm.
The first CTV built to the Chartwell 24 design combines electric power, a diesel engine running on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO30), a changeable pitch propeller for good manoeuvrability and operational flexibility, and an advanced hull form to reduce frictional resistance.
With a speed of 10 knots using electricity and 30 knots on diesel, the HST Ella has capacity for 24 persons and a 15-tonne payload. In port, the vessel runs on electricity, enabling quiet zero-emission operation.
Chartwell Marine managing director, Andy Page, said: “Designing for hybrid operations brings specific challenges, but our central philosophy is that we design with the vessel’s eventual operational profile front and centre, and we have been proud to work with Diverse Marine and HST to incorporate lessons learnt from best practice CTV operation into this vessel.”
