Kongsberg Maritime has introduced a new size of underwater mountable azimuth thruster with a 3.7 metre propeller and 4.2-Megawatt power output model joining the range.

Suited to a range of vessels including drill ships, windfarm vessels and production vessels, the UUC PM 355 features a permanent magnet (PM) motor, delivering 81 tons of bollard pull.

The UUC PM 355, has a compact design with less space required in the machine room thanks to the integrated PM motor.

Kongsberg Maritime has more than 25 years of experience in development of underwater mountable thrusters, which can be exchanged without the need for drydocking, while the vessel remains in the water. Installation of the UUC range can be done at depths up to 50 metres.

Pasi Villanen, Kongsberg Maritime, Product Line Manager, said: “Our UUC range of underwater mountable thrusters remains a popular choice across a range of offshore applications where minimising downtime is a priority. With this new UUC PM 355 thruster, we can offer increased thrust and simple installation, while reducing the amount of space required inside the vessel. The permanent magnet motor is common across much of our propulsion portfolio, and for this type of thruster its responsiveness and efficiency, make it the ideal choice for Dynamic Positioning operations.”

Other features of the new thruster included low noise operation, less lubricating oil volume and no oil-to-sea interfaces, a key component in environmental protection.