Union Vega Offshore has placed an order with Fujian Mawei Shipyard for two battery-hybrid platform supply vessels (PSVs), with four more held as options. The newbuilds are to be built to the Breeze design. As structured, the contract commits the owner to two firm vessels while leaving room for the series to grow if the options are exercised.
Platform supply vessels shuttle cargo, equipment and supplies between shore bases and offshore installations, making them a staple of offshore logistics. Battery-hybrid propulsion, the configuration specified for these units, pairs conventional engines with onboard batteries. In such arrangements the batteries can absorb surplus power and feed it back when demand rises, smoothing the load on the main machinery. The setup is generally aimed at trimming fuel consumption and emissions in day-to-day service.
Fujian Mawei Shipyard will carry out the construction, adding the two firm hulls to its orderbook. The Breeze design serves as the common template, so any option vessels would repeat the same basic arrangement. Ordering a small firm batch with follow-on options is a familiar structure in the PSV segment, letting owners confirm near-term tonnage while keeping later expansion open.
For Union Vega Offshore, the order secures new platform supply capacity while keeping the commitment limited until a decision on the four options. For the yard, the contract brings battery-hybrid newbuild work and the prospect of further hulls in the same series. For the wider offshore support market, the deal reflects the role hybrid propulsion plays in current PSV procurement, where fuel efficiency and emissions performance feature in fleet decisions.
Source: Offshore Engineer
