Executive summary
Safe Concordia is a dynamic positioning, self-propelled, semi-submersible accommodation platform that uses four electrically driven thrusters to maintain its position. The platform's construction was completed, and its delivery trials were carried out, in March 2005.
During its voyage from Singapore to Bass Strait, Australia, the platform experienced two electrical fires in its thruster power system. On 12 September 2005, after it had entered Bass Strait a fire started in the platform's number four thruster transformer. On 18 September, a fire occurred in an electrical cabinet that was providing power to the number one thruster motor.
The investigation found that the transformer fire was probably the result of an internal short circuit that occurred when the insulation failed due to overheating. The cabinet fire was the result of an electrical arc that occurred because the work bridging out of some electrical equipment was not adequately undertaken.
It was also considered that Safe Concordia was not fit to fulfil its charter obligations in view of the unresolved faults in the thrusters' electrical power systems and the design of the platform did not allow for effective and safe fire fighting in the thruster rooms.
The report makes several recommendations to address these issues.