James Fisher Subtech (JF Subtech), provider of specialist technical marine support to the renewables, oil and gas, civil works and salvage markets, has signed a charter agreement with Østensjø Rederi AS for the exclusive use of its inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM), and construction vessel, Edda Savanah.
The agreement will see the vessel mobilised from April 2023 for work in both the North and Irish Seas on IRM projects for JF Subtech’s customers, utilising remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and multiple diving methods, two of JF Subtech’s core capabilities.
The charter comes as the UK’s offshore energy industry faces supply chain crunches, allowing JF Subtech to be agile and responsive to customers’ changing needs at a time when vessel availability within the industry is constrained. The Edda Savanah will provide a valued and stable cost base for JF Subtech’s new and existing customer base.
Following the successful performance of the Deep Cygnus in 2022, the agreement with Norwegian vessel operator Østensjø Rederi AS further builds JF Subtech’s UK offshore capabilities for 2023, and demonstrates the Group’s commitment to providing solutions to the energy market.
A highly adaptable vessel that allows for a variety of configurations, the Edda Savanah will be fitted with a James Fisher-owned work class ROV, observation class ROVs and an air dive spread, as well as benefitting from a 150-tonne crane that will allow JF Subtech to deliver a full suite of capabilities. Ensuring the safety of operations in the face of prevailing North Sea conditions, the Edda Savanah has also been equipped with a daughter craft, ideally located in the centre of the vessel to increase stability during launch and recovery.
The Edda Savanah was built in 2017 and is currently undergoing internal reconfiguration, which will be completed by the end of March. She measures around 97m in length with DP2 capabilities, and an onboard capacity for 100 passengers while remaining SPS compliant.
“James Fisher Subtech is proud to be able to continue to support the UK offshore energy sector with the confirmation of the Edda Savanah for the 2023 season,” said Mike Bailey, Asset and Operations Director at JF Subtech. “It’s important to us that we play our role in ensuring the self-sufficiency of the sector and having all the necessary equipment ready to go from the start means we’re able to mitigate some of the price and supply chain challenges that the industry is currently facing.
“Furthermore, this agreement means we can continue to pass on the commercial benefits to our customers and ensure all of our operations are as efficient as possible, reducing mobilisation time and cost.”