Alewijnse wins order for icebreaker’s electric installation

The 156m-long icebreaking ASRV is to be a centrepiece of the the Australian Antarctic Strategy and 20-year action plan and has been designed for an operating life of at least 30 years. The highly sophisticated vessel will provide a key lifeline to Australia’s Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research stations.
Lead contractor on the project is Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) in Vlissingen although vessel construction and outfitting will be carried out at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania. Several Alewijnse business units will support Alewijnse Marine Galati at the Damen Yard. The electrical systems provider will engineer, deliver and install the ship’s entire electrical installation, including the main power unit, the propulsion and thruster control systems and the integrated platform management system.
The complex components will be designed and supplied so that the vessel can operate effectively in the most extreme conditions. Systems will also provide all of the support necessary to service 500m2 of research laboratory and office facilities as well as extensive scientific equipment for sub-surface exploration. Climate-controlled accommodation will have capacity for up to 32 crew and 116 research and other personnel. When construction and outfitting have been completed, the as-yet unnamed ASRV will sail to DSNS in the Netherlands prior to delivery, scheduled for April 2020.