Bergen Group signs contract to build large, advanced OCV

JUNE 6, 2012 — Norway’s Bergen Group BMV says its shipbuilding division has signed its largest ever contract. Worth NOK 1 billion (about US $ 163.5 million) it is with shipowner North Sea Shipping AS, a subsidiary of North Sea Shipping Holding AS, and covers construction of a large and advanced offshore vessel. The contract includes options for some additional equipment. The ship is scheduled for delivery in second 2014, and will be chartered by a major international subsea company.

The shipping company has also been granted an option from Bergen Group for construction of a similar vessel planned for delivery in late 2014.

The contract is signed, subject to financing.

The ship is a large and advanced OCV-vessel (Offshore Construction Vessel) with facilities for laying flexi-pipes and cables. The ship has a length of 142 m, beam of 27 m and a cabin capacity of 120 people. it will feature state of the art equipment that makes it attractive for use in demanding offshore projects, including complex subsea operations.

Designed by Skipsteknisk in Ålesund, it is an ST-261 design, developed in close cooperation with the shipowner, the end-user and Bergen Group.

The ship is equipped with an advanced DP3 positioning system, and has an offshore crane with a lifting capacity of 400 tons and capacity of construction work down to 3,000 m water depth. The ship will also have two advanced ROV systems  that can conduct operations down to 3,000 meters water depth.

The vessel will have a working deck of around 2,000 sq.m able to withstand a load of 15 tons / sq. m.

A large carousel below deck will have a storage capacity of up to 2,000 tons of cable or flex pipe. In addition, the ship is designed to mount another carousel on the main working deck.

“Expertise in construction and operation of advanced offshore construction vessels is crucial when we negotiate with our clients. North Sea Shipping has specialized in providing the market advanced offshore construction vessels in recent years. With this newbuilding we are taking another step toward becoming a major player in this segment,” says North Sea Shipping CEO Hallvard Klepsvik. He says that solutions that ensure the capacity and flexibility to meet future requirements for demanding assignments in offshore and subsea market will be used in the construction of the ship.

“The contract with North Sea Shipping represents a new milestone for Bergen Group’s Shipbuilding Division. The contract is the largest this division ever has been awarded, and is in many ways a confirmation that we have succeeded in our strategy to maintain and strengthen our position in the construction of the most advanced offshore vessels to a demanding international market,” says Bergen Group CEO Terje Arnesen

CEO Terje Sjumarken at Bergen Group BMV is looking forward to a busy and demanding construction process for the approximately 200 employees at the shipyard in Bergen.

“This will be the ninth offshore vessel Bergen Group BMV has built and delivered since 2007. The contract with North Sea Shipping provides us with an exciting order backlog horizon until the summer of 2014”, says Sjumarken.

The shipyard manager is gratified to be awarded a contract from a customer residing in the same geographical region as the shipyard. “The contract will have major effect for the region in terms of deliveries and jobs”, says Mr. Sjumarken.

“We look forward to delivering an environmentally friendly and future oriented ship to an established shipping company that is known for setting standards of quality. North Sea Shipping is an attractive customer for many yards, both internationally and nationally. We are therefore greatly appreciated of the fact that the nearest neighbor has found Bergen Group competitive and assigned us the responsibility for this exciting NOK billion-project”, says Mr. Sjumarken.

The contract with North Sea Shipping will initially generate engineering and planning activities at the shipyard from the coming fall. The hull will be built outside Norway and then towed to Bergen Group BMV for outfitting and commissioning in the autumn of 2013.