Recently, an active heave compensated subsea offshore crane was installed successfully on Wagenborg’s offshore vessel Kingsborg, reports the shipping company on its website. The installation was performed at the Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the port of Delfzijl.
From mid-October, the Kingsborg will embark on a decommissioning project on the North Sea.
The 50-tonne active heave compensated crane, built by Sormec Italy, passed its factory acceptance test before being disassembled for transport to Niestern Sander by truck. Over the summer, Sormec and Niestern Sander reassembled it at the Niestern Sander terminal for installation on the Kingsborg.
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From subsea support to walk-to-work
The Kingsborg was orginally built as a platform supply vessel (PSV) of the type DP2 PX121 at Ulstein in Norway in 2013, and was named Aurora Thunder. After the positive experiences with the walk-to-work (W2W) vessels Kasteelborg and Keizersborg, Wagenborg once again opted to convert a standard PSV into a specialist offshore vessel.
In approximately six months’ time, Royal Niestern Sander shipyard completed the conversion of the Kingsborg in 2023. It then began its journey as a subsea support vessel for an energy major, successfully completing several survey jobs in the North Sea.
By April 2024, the Kingsborg transitioned to a walk-to-work (W2W) vessel after the installation of an Ampelmann gangway. With the Ampelmann gangway, Kingsborg can provide a safer and more efficient means of transferring personnel to and from offshore installations, even in challenging weather conditions.
During this period, the crane’s hydraulic power unit and pedestal were also installed on board. Throughout the summer, additional preparations were made for the crane installation. Currently, the last acceptance tests are completed and certified.
Also read: Wagenborg installs Ampelmann gangway on Kingsborg
Decommissioning services
With the newly equipped Kingsborg, Wagenborg again will be involved in the decommissioning of obsolete offshore infrastructure on the North Sea. Deck supervision on the vessel for the upcoming well abandonment project will be provided by Wagenborg subsidiary Wagenborg Foxdrill. The shift supervisors will coordinate the deck and subsea works as the liaison between deck operations and the bridge crew of the Kingsborg.
Picture: Kingsborg fitted with crane (picture by Wagenborg).
Also read: Wagenborg orders fifth EasyMax vessel
