Maintenance Support Walk-to-Work Vessel Kroonborg is this year's winner of the KNVTS Ship of the Year Award.
The award was just presented (2 November) at the tenth edition of the Maritime Awards Gala at the RDM in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Kroonborg
The ship is the result of an intensive cooperation between shipyard Royal Niestern Sander and NAM/Shell UK and a number of subcontractors. Together they created a safe, environmentally friendly and economically attractive way to transport maintenance personnel to and from offshore platforms.
The ship has been designed to be able to operate on the southern parts of the North Sea 300 days a year. Maximum sea conditions are: wind 30 knots, 2.5 metres significant wave height and a 1 knot current. The Kroonborg is 79.43 metres long, 15.85 metres wide, has a depth of 7 metres and a maximum draught of 5 metres.
Conoship designed the hull which, together with the Voith-Schneider propellers with active roll damping, provide the desired seakeeping behaviour. The vessel has a diesel electric installation, uses GTL (Gas to Liquid) for fuel to reduce emissions and is equiped with DP2. To allow for a safe transfer of personnel to and from a platform, the vessel has a motion compensated Ampelmann gangway. It also has a crane mounted on a newly designed motion compensated Bargemaster platform.
The Kroonborg is equipped to transport different chemicals/liquids to platforms. To safely transport these chemicals in the tanks below deck, the tank division and accompanying systems comply with the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk, which means the Kroonborg is comparable with a chemical tanker in this respect.
The vessel has a special Cold Start-Up Unit (CSU) with hydraulic pumps that can pump (425 bar) MEG into oil wells. The 500 m2 work deck has a 5 t/m2 capacity, a work station and storage facilities. The accommodation can house a crew of twenty as well as forty engineers and other maintenance personnel. The good seakeeping behaviour and low noise levels make it a comfortable ship. According to the jury, the Kroonborg is a remarkable achievement.
Other Nominees
In total three ships were nominated for the award. The other two were:
- Equanimity: The 91.5 metre yacht Equanimity was built by Oceanco. The vessel can reach speeds of up to 19.5 knots and has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure. It is the first ship to be built to comply with the Passenger Yacht Code (PYC) and it meets all safety requirements without any apparent concessions on aesthetical and technical elements. One of its main features includes a beach club, including a gymnasium, massage room, sauna, steam room, experience shower and plunge pool with folding platforms giving direct access to the sea.
- Karina: Fast Supply Vessel Karina was built by Shipyard De Hoop. The vessel is designed for the combined transport of deck cargo and passengers to offshore oil fields. Custom designed by De Hoop to stringent environmental control, the hybrid diesel-electric powered 55 metre FSV is constructed primarily for low fuel consumption. According to the jury, the design distinguishes itself by a relatively cheap steel hull and the combined influence of large, slowly rotating propellers, a Hull Vane, bulb and a unique hybrid diesel-direct/diesel-electric system.
