Eidesvik’s LNG-powered PSV extends its decades-long run with Norwegian major

Norwegian offshore vessel owner Eidesvik Offshore has secured a five-year contract extension with compatriot state-owned energy giant Equinor for one of its platform supply vessels (PSVs).

The contract extension for PSV Viking Energy is set to last from April 2025 to April 2030 and comes with possible further extensions. This is in direct continuation of the current contract, which started in April 2020. The vessel completed 20 years in operation in 2023, celebrating 2,500 roundtrips – all made with Equinor.

Gitte Gard Talmo, CEO & President of Eidesvik Offshore, noted: “Viking Energy has been in continuous operation for Equinor since its launch in 2003. This contract extension highlights the operational excellence consistently delivered by our crew. We are proud to have maintained such a long-standing collaboration and look forward to its continued success.”

Described as the world’s first LNG-fueled cargo vessel, the 2003-built PSV is equipped with four Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines, enabling it to run on LNG and marine diesel oil. The vessel is 94.9 meters long and 20.4 meters wide, with an LNG tank capacity of 220 cubic meters.

The shipowner also claims the PSV holds two additional world records. In 2016, it received the world’s first DNV class notation ‘battery power’ for a vessel. This means that the battery system can replace one of the main engines as a redundant power source in dynamic positioning (DP) operations, alongside the option of being used during transit to minimize peak electricity demand.

In 2020, it was decided that a 2 MW ammonia-powered fuel cell supplied by Wärtsilä would be fitted onto the vessel as part of the ShipFC project funded by the European Union (EU). Deemed as the first ammonia-powered fuel cell installation on a vessel, the process was scheduled to take place in late 2023.

Equinor has been busy with various projects. The firm recently hired Soiltech for the treatment of contaminated water on the floating storage unit (FSU) Njord Bravo, located on the Njord oil and gas field in the Norwegian Sea. 

Aside from this, one of the wells the energy giant drilled in the Barents Sea with the Transocean Enabler rig ended up being classified as dry.