Norway’s Østensjø Rederi AS has taken delivery of the 130m (426ft) by 27m (85ft) accommodation and service vessel Edda Fides from Spain’s Astillerios H. J. Barreras at Vigo. Unique in the offshore trades, the 7,500dwt ship has accommodation for a total of 600 persons in 177 cabins while also having limited cargo handling capability.
The 13-knot vessel has been designed to operate in a significant wave height of 5m and, by using a Voith Schneider propulsion system incorporating five propulsors, is able to have its heave-compensated gangway connected to an oil rig or other offshore structure in the North Sea for 92 per cent of the time throughout the year. This is comparable to a semi-submersible rig.
