The technology group Wärtsilä and CBO, one of Brazil’s leading operators of offshore support vessels, have recently signed an agreement to convert a vessel from CBO’s fleet to operate with hybrid propulsion. The ‘CBO Flamengo’ will be the first vessel in Latin America to be fitted with a battery pack for hybrid propulsion, which will improve the vessel’s energy consumption and reduce its carbon footprint. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in October 2020.

The Wärtsilä Hybrid Solution to be installed on the ‘CBO Flamengo’, a platform supply vessel (PSV), complies with the DNV-GL’s ‘Battery Power’ class notation, allowing the ship’s engines to run more efficiently by operating safely with fewer engines at a higher load. The hybrid system will provide redundancy power and reduce intermittent load increases (peak shaving), thereby saving fuel and reducing exhaust emission levels. Furthermore, because the engines will operate for fewer running hours, maintenance requirements and costs will be reduced.

“CBO is always interested in new technologies and innovation is in our DNA. We seek less fossil fuel consumption and this, aligned with our ESG (environmental and social governance) initiatives, makes the decision to install batteries in our vessels a natural path. CBO will offer more efficient operation to our clients, and this will be the first step of more to come. Wärtsilä is a leader in innovation and has extensive know-how in hybrid battery systems for ships, so we are pleased to join forces with Wärtsilä to implement new technologies into CBO’s fleet,” says Marcelo Martins, Technical and Commercial Director at CBO.

“We are proud that a forward-looking company like CBO has selected Wärtsilä as its project partner in supplying this ground-breaking technology for Brazil’s first hybrid vessel. Our strong track-record and depth of experience in developing advanced hybrid solutions were the key reasons for the award of this contract,” says Ian Brouwer, Senior Sales Manager at Wärtsilä Marine Power.

The scope includes the power conversion, project services, the hybrid solution delivery, and commissioning. Delivery of the Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for April 2021. Installation and integration of the equipment will be handled by CBO.

The marine industry’s first integrated hybrid power module

By combining its competences in marine electrical, automation and engine technologies, Wärtsilä has brought together multiple functions and systems to deliver a single integrated hybrid power module that combines engines, an energy storage system, and power electronics optimised by a unique and highly sophisticated energy management system (EMS).

The EMS functions as the ‘brain’ in the Wärtsilä Hybrid System. It optimises the energy flows between the different power sources, storage, and consumers to achieve the highest efficiency possible.

About CBO

Operating with excellence as an OSV company since 1978, CBO is one of the leading companies in the vessel chartering segment to support the oil and gas industry in Brazil.

The company has as shareholders the Private Equity funds Pátria Investimentos and Vinci Partners, and BNDESPar (Brazilian Development Bank – BNDES – subsidiary). Currently, the Group has a fleet of 32 vessels of different types, including PSV, RSV, OSRV and AHTS, and employs approximately 1,100 people in its bases in Niterói (RJ) and Macaé (RJ).