Rotork p.l.c., a leading valve, actuator and gearbox manufacturer, with branches in North and South America, has supplied low temperature specification Rotork EH electro-hydraulic actuators for critical Emergency Shutdown (ESD) valve duties on an icebreaker tanker being built to serve an LNG terminal in the Russian Arctic.
Located within the Arctic Circle where winter temperatures drop below -40ºC, the terminal will be ice bound for up to nine months a year. Installed on deck and exposed to the full force of the Arctic weather, 14 Rotork EH failsafe actuators will operate ESD valves on the ship’s cargo transfer system.
To meet the challenges of the harsh weather conditions and corrosive saline atmosphere, the actuators have undergone stringent testing procedures to achieve certification according to Bureau Veritas Rules for the Classification of Offshore Units. Testing took place at the Rotork Fluid Systems factory in Melle and involved operation at -62ºC in a climate chamber in accordance with RS winterisation requirements, followed by 28 days in a salt mist chamber in accordance with DIN EN 60068-2-52.