Dutch shipyard Niestern Sander may not be able to deliver the ice-breaking walk-to-work (W2W) vessel Nabil to its Russian client due to EU sanctions imposed as a result of the war in Ukraine, reports local Dutch news channel RTV Noord. The Nabil is one of the largest newbuilding orders ever for the company.
The EU imposed sanctions that prohibit the sale, supply, transfer or export to Russia of specific goods relating to oil exploration and production. The Nabil is to provide year-round crew transfer services for up to forty persons from the shallow Nabil Port to offshore platforms near the east coast of Sakhalin. In addition, the vessel can be deployed for oil spill response services. This would mean Niestern Sander cannot deliver the vessel.
And Niestern Sander is not the only company that is being hit by the sanctions. RTV Noord reports that Dutch trade organisation Netherlands Maritime Technology estimates that about forty maritime companies in the Netherlands are impacted by the sections.
Ice-breaking walk-to-work vessel
The contract for the shallow-draught ice-breaking walk-to-work vessel was awarded to Royal Niestern Sander, Wagenborg Offshore and a joint venture between Mercury Sakhalin and Pola after a tender procedure in June 2020. The vessel is specially designed and optimised for year-round operations in the challenging conditions on the east coast of Sakhalin in temperatures ranging from -30 to +35 degrees.
The ship combines a shallow draught of 3.15 metres, a transit draught of 4.0 metres in open waters and a grounded bottom notation. With Wagenborg ice-breaking technology of the ice-breaking hull and pulling (ice milling) Azimuth thrusters, the vessel can break through ice up to 100 centimetres.
Also read: Niestern Sander and Wagenborg to build ice-breaking W2W vessel
The motion compensated gangway on this vessel is optimised for both winter and summer operations, resulting in multiple gangway positions.
One of the largest new build orders for Niestern Sander
The vessel is said to be one of the largest new build orders for Niestern Sander to date. In addition, various subcontractors and suppliers from the Dutch North are involved in the project for engineering, delivering steel, parts of the engine room, navigation and rescue equipment.
As of November 2019, Wagenborg Offshore has already been working together with Mercury Sakhalin in Sakhalin with the ice-breaking support vessel Arcticaborg.
Also read: VIDEO: Niestern Sander launches world’s first walk-to-work icebreaker
Picture: The launch of the Nabil in November 2021 (by Niestern Sander).
