Offshore Marine Technology: 3rd Quarter 2020
Q3 will see Aberdeen, UK-headquartered Sentinel Marine take delivery of Malin Sentinel, the final unit in a nine-strong order of China-built emergency response and rescue vessel (ERRV) newbuilds.
Fujian Southeast Shipyard constructed the first four ERRVs of this series (Cygnus Sentinel, Fastnet Sentinel and Lundy Sentinel – all built in 2015 – plus Forties Sentinel, completed in 2016) while Cosco’s Guandong facility completed Mariner Sentinel in 2017. Meanwhile, Cosco Dalian built Portland Sentinel in 2016 and the final three ERRVs – Bailey Sentinel, Biscay Sentinel and Malin Sentinel – in 2018. At time of writing, Malin Sentinel had just set off from China to Aberdeen.
Like her predecessors, Malin Sentinel will provide standby rescue coverage in the North Sea. The ERRV is equipped with: a 5m3-capacity dispersant tank and a 30tonne SWL rescue towing bollard. Her deck spans 32.4m x 12.6m, providing 408m2 of space and the capacity to carry 600tonnes of cargo. The deck is strengthened to 7.5tonnes per m2. This area also hosts a crane, rated 3tonnes SWL at 13m, plus two 5tonne tugger winches and a pair of 5tonne capstans. The ERRV also carries a 15-man fast rescue craft and a Dacon Scoop MOB recovery device. A dedicated survivor area offers a treatment room with a specialised bath for hypothermia treatment, plus a 26-bed recovery area.
The vessel is fitted with two IMO Tier 4-compliant CAT engines, a 500kW azimuth thruster and two tunnel thrusters (at the bow and stern) rated 400kW apiece. Sentinel Marine claims that, when operating at a top speed of 14knots, Malin Sentinel will consume 12tonnes of fuel daily. This decreases to a daily burn rate of 6.8tonnes at 10knots. When in standby mode, however, relying on her azimuth thruster, the vessel will burn just 0.85tonnes of fuel per day.
Cosco Dalian is now working on three new ERRVs for ‘Phase 3’ of Sentinel’s plans, which call for enhanced versions of the previous Sentinel vessels, classified to DP2 and FiFi 1 notations. These Phase 3 ships will also be able to transport liquid mud and dry bulk. The trio, namely Cromarty Sentinel, Trafalgar Sentinel and Viking Sentinel, will be delivered to Sentinel by the end of 2020. The group also hopes to grow its pool of seafarers from 300 to 400 as Phase 3 unfolds.
TECHNICAL PARTICULARS
Malin Sentinel
| Length,oa | 62m |
| Breadth | 15.5m |
| Draught | 4.6m |
| Deadweight | 1,500tonnes |
| Gross tonnage | 2,173tonnes |
| Main engines | 2 x CAT, 1,500kW |
| Fuel oil capacity | 1,000,000litres |
| Fresh water capacity | 500,000litres |
| POB | 26 |
| Number of cabins | 4 x single / 11 x double |
| Classification society | ABS |
