PSV FAR SOLITAIRE named Ship of the Year 2012
Built by STX OSV Langsten for owners Farstad Shipping ASA, the unique offshore platform service vessel FAR SOLITAIRE was declared Ship of the Year 2012 by Norwegian State Secretary of Trade and Industry, Mr. Halvard Ingebrigtsen, at SMM in Hamburg, the Hamburg Messe press release said.
FAR SOLITAIRE is a chemical tanker compliant supply vessel which is the main reason for why the jury elected this vessel as Ship of the Year 2012. Thus she is capable to undertake all aspects of offshore platform services. The technologically advanced vessel has been developed by
Farstad Shipping ASA in close co-operation with Rolls-Royce Marine and is the first PSV of this type ever built (solitaire - one of a kind). She is yet not delivered from the yard. Delivery will take place in October.
The offshore oil industry has over the years become more and more dependent on chemicals and noxious liquids in order to improve operational efficiency and maintain safety standards. At the same time, restrictions for offshore disposal of the same have become more stringent for environmental reasons.
In the next turn these liquids need to be transported to and from the offshore installations, which means need of capable Platform Supply Vessels fit for this purpose. However, a conventional Offshore Supply Vessel defined by the rules as a Cargo Vessel is limited to carry maximum 800 cubic meters of these liquids on board at a time, which often is insufficient for the Operator and do not utilise the vessels over all capacity.
Other features highlighted by the jury is her wave-piercing bow design, the development of a new cargo rail crane consept for PSVs and the introduction of the frequency converter for the swing up thruster as power supply for shore power. During the project development Rolls-Royce
was challenged by Farstad to pay high attetion to the impact on the environment the construction and operation of this vessel would cause through its lifespan. Main parameters for the concept were laid by Farstad.
The prestigeous Ship of the Year-award is instituted by the major Norwegian shipping magazine Skipsrevyen. Price candidates are nominated by the readers of the magazine, but the final election is the responsibility of a jury consisting of the Publisher and Editor of Skipsrevyen, Mr. Asle B. Strønen, the former MD of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association Mr. Rolf Sæther and the MD of the sales and marketing organization Norwegian Shipyards, Mr. Birger Skår.