Marine hydraulic system upgrade for FPSO

To extend the operational life of the FPSO Haewene Brim by more than 10 years, Bluewater Energy identified the marine hydraulic system as a critical focus area. This system powers essential subsystems like ballast, bilge, cargo handling, and inert gas operations. The existing setup was outdated, lacked diagnostic capabilities, and posed growing maintenance and reliability risks. GLO Marine was engaged to deliver a complete system redesign that would enhance reliability, maintainability, and monitoring — with the added challenge of integrating the new system during phased dry dock interventions.

The aging hydraulic system faced several key limitations:

• Decreasing spare part availability 
• Poor system cleanliness and degraded performance 
• No predictive maintenance or remote diagnostics 
• Difficult access and servicing offshore 
• High operational risk from system failures GLO Marine’s task was to design a modern system that was reliable, resilient, and diagnosable — while remaining compatible with legacy infrastructure and installation constraints.

To address reliability, maintainability, and upgrade challenges, GLO Marine would address 4 key aspects:

• Modular DCV Stack: A flexible, service-friendly valve system that reduced component variety and simplified the hydraulic layout. 
• Smart Diagnostics: Real-time leakage detection and predictive maintenance enabled by advanced flowmeter integration. 
• Built-In Redundancy: UPS-backed modules and fail-safe controls ensured operational continuity without adding a secondary HPU. 
• Phased Implementation: A legacy-compatible design allowed for installation during scheduled dry dock, avoiding full system shutdowns.