Swire Pacific Offshore Operations (Pte.) Ltd. signed design contracts for eight platform supply vessels (PSVs) and Northstar Shipping ordered two PSVs from Offshore Ship Designers.

The diesel-electric PSVs are under construction at shipyards in Brazil, Japan and Spain.

Swire Pacific ordered four IMT-997 vessels to be built by Universal Shipbuilding Corp. in Japan and four sister vessels to be built at the EISA shipyard in Brazil. The 97-m (320-ft) overall length, 5,000-dwt vessels will be classed with DP2 capability and have diesel-electric propulsion systems with azimuth propulsion units. The vessels will be delivered progressively from early 2014.

Craig Group’s Northstar Shipping ordered two IMT-982 PSVs to be built at Balenciaga in Spain. The 83-m (274-ft) long vessels have diesel-electric propulsion systems offering greater fuel economy and efficiency. The vessels have an initial operating deadweight of 2,550-dwt, a useable deck area of 912 sq m and are powered by four MAK 9M20 1,450-kW generator sets driving two Steerprop 1900 kWe Azimuths.

The vessels are specially designed to operate at less than 5,000-metric-ton displacement to work with older North Sea Structures where vessel size and weight restrictions apply. The vessels will be also classed with DP2 capability.