Ulstein’s Blue Ship Invest takes delivery of second PSV

SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 — Norway’s Ulstein Verft has delivered Blue Prosper, the second of six medium-sized platform supply vessels of PX121 design that the shipyard is building for Ulstein Group subsidiary Blue Ship Invest.

“This project has flowed really well, and we’ve been able to draw on the experiences we made when building the first vessel in this series, Blue Fighter, says Karsten Sævik, Managing Director of Ulstein Verft.

“The vessels were ordered based on market trends showing a future increase in demand for this type of PSV. Blue Prosper will enter the North Sea spot market under the management of Remøy Shipping, which already manages Blue Fighter in this market with good results,” says Gunvor Ulstein, CEO of Ulstein Group and Managing Director of Ulstein Shipping.

Ulstein Verft was contracted to build the first two vessels for Blue Ship Invest at the end of 2010. A continued positive market trend combined with very positive feedback on Blue Fighter after some months in operation, led Blue Ship Invest to contract another four vessels of the same design in June 2012.

“Blue Ship Invest is an investment company, not a shipping company, and all six vessels are for sale,” Gunvor Ulstein emphasizes.

Efficiency and flexibility have been the focus in the development of the PX121 design. With optimized tank capacities and flexible and segregated tank arrangements, the multifunctional vessel is suitable for many types of supply contracts. The ship is adapted to the requirements for longer and deeper boreholes and activities further from shore. In addition to tanks for oil, water and drilling fluids, the vessel has four stainless steel tanks for flammable liquids.

The vessel’s X-Bow hull line is designed to provide efficiency over a wide draft range, which is important for PSVs as they frequently operate with varying loads. The X-Bow also has advantages in terms of motion and propulsion efficiency in heavy seas. Both the hull and choice of propulsion system make the vessel well suited for North Sea and North Atlantic conditions. The vessel is equipped with an IMO Class II dynamic positioning system.

The ship has a length of 83.4 m and a beam of 18 m. It has a cargo deck of 850 sq. m and a load capacity of 4,200 t (dwt). The ship meets the requirements of DNV’s Clean Design notation and is prepared for fire-fighting class Fi-Fi II. It has a maximum speed of around 16 knots and accommodations for 24 persons.

Ulstein Power & Control has delivered a substantial amount of equipment to the vessel, including switchboards, the information and communication system Ulstein Com, integrated navigation systems with multi-functional workstations and the integrated automation system Ulsteain IAS.

The remaining four Blue Ship Invest vessels are scheduled for delivery from Ulstein Verft in 2013.