Crucial supervision

Owners supervising the shipyards is one of the most important aspects during the construction of new vessels.

BY BJARNE LAASTAD // PYX

Vidar J. Håheim is a Senior Project Engineer at Østensjø Rederi. Among his many roles, he is also acting Project lead for the newbuilds currently under construction for Edda Wind in northern Spain.

The vessels are being built at two different yards – Astilleros Gondan in Castropol and Astilleros Balenciaga in Zumaia.

Gondan has previously built 16 different vessels for Østensjø Rederi and is now well underway with the Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) Edda Breeze (C489) and CSOV C490, and will later also be responsible for the construction of the CSOV C491 and CSOV C492. The work on Edda Breeze started April 2020, and the vessel was launched and placed alongside in June 2021. The goal is to have the vessel completed in March 2022, with the C490 completed in December 2023.

At Balenciaga, the construction of Service Operation Vessel (SOV) Edda Brint (C415) and SOV C416 is now underway. Edda Brint was launched and has been alongside since July 2021. Plans are to complete the vessel in April, and its sister vessel by the end of 2022.

To ensure progression and quality, Østensjø Rederi has had its people on site supervising the entire construction process.

– This is one of the most important things we do. The yards, of course, are using drawing packages and fantastic visual 3D models, and they decide how to organise logistics and the various stages of the construction process within the 3D model. Nevertheless, we find it crucial for us to be present on-site to contribute during the construction process to ensure the “final touch” and the quality Østensjø Rederi is used to, says Håheim.

Østensjø Rederi has assigned two Masters and two Chief Engineers who work in rotation supervising the newbuild vessels.

– These are skilled people with many years of experience on these types of vessels. They carry out the day-to-day supervisory activities on-site in Spain, with one man at each yard. I travel down occasionally to oversee the construction. It’s always nice to have a fresh set of eyes. I’m known for being detail-oriented, and it can often be easier to notice details for someone who isn’t there all the time, says Håheim.

In September, he was there for a week and a half and had a good look around the vessels both inside and out.

– My focus is on quality and progress. If we identify issues or items for improvement, I review these with the yard Project Manager and assist them with remedial measures. We also reviewed variation orders and updated the budgets. We make high demands throughout the process, but we are also fair, he says.

– We’re always introducing new technologies to our vessels and are currently fitting three prototypes on the newbuilds in

Spain. Firstly, a Voith (eVSP) rear propeller that can generate thrust in a very fast maner in any horizontal direction with a result that we can counter weight rolling effect on the vessel which both is crucial for good vessel and gangway operability. Even if a vessel is at full steam ahead, the eVSP can go into full reverse in just three seconds. The electric motor is now located inside the thruser housing , which saves space onboard and generates greater power more rapidly due to permanent magnet technology. We will also be installing a 3D motion-compensated gangway and crane system from MacGregor and a new, in-house designed bridge layout, specially adapted for the offshore wind segment”, he says.

Travel restrictions and other issues linked to the pandemic have meant that supervision at the yards started later than usual.

– We had to wait until it was safe enough to travel. There has been a strict regime at the shipyards. Gondan has been operating with two different shifts, while Balenciaga has focused on effective catering solutions and staggered mealtimes. Both yards have enforced mandatory maskwearing inside the perimeter gates, and other effective measures have helped to prevent infection. This has enabled our supervisory activities to be very little affected, and much credit should go to our site team personell for their patience and flexibility, he says. The project group, from left: Vidar J. Håheim, Egil Arne Skare, Elise Nesse and Arne Jakob Eide

Steel blocks forming a vessel on the bedding.

Under construction