Østensjø Rederi AS has taken delivery of ”Edda Fides” – a unique purpose built accommodation and service vessel packed with new and groundbreaking equipment.

The naming ceremony for the Edda Fides took place on Saturday March 26 in Vigo Spain. With applause from the audience and champagne bubbling over the hull of the vessel, the Lady Sponsor Else-May Botten – a member of the Norwegian Parliament for the Labour Party – knew she had done the job.

Vessel description

Edda Fides is now ready for safe operations worldwide. With a length of 130 m and a bream of 27 m, the Edda Fides has a dead weight of 7,500 tonnes and accommodation for a total of 600 persons in double cabins. Edda Fides, which has been built at Astillerios HJ Barreras, Vigo, Spain, is the first ever purpose-built mono hull accommodation and service vessel. The vessel has built-in new and groundbreaking equipment that will revolutionise the offshore accommodation industry.

The DP 3 positioning system combined with Voith Scheider propeller and not least, the heave compensated gangway, will give the industry a more efficient and more environment-friendly operation. The Voith Schneider propellers represent a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and emissions compared with the propellers that are in use today. The vessel is designed to meet customers’ and the authorities’ strictest requirements for safety, efficiency, and comfort for both crew and offshore workers/passengers. In addition to carrying a comfort class comparable to cruise liners, the vessel could also be used to transport workers to and from the oilfields offshore (no need for helicopter transport).

The vessel is designed to operate in a significant wave height of 5 m. That means the vessel can operate with the gangway connected 92% of the time throughout the year in the North Sea. This is comparable to a semi submersible rig. The Edda Fides will be marketed under Edda Accommodation, which is a part of the Østensjø Group in Haugesund.

The value of the vessel is approximately EUR 150 Mill. The first contract for the vessel will be in the North Sea.