Siem vessel going back to Canada to work for BP

Norwegian shipping company Siem Offshore has secured a deal for one of its dual-fuel platform support vessels (PSVs) with BP Canada, a subsidiary of oil major BP. This will enable the PSV to return to Canadian waters once again.

Siem Offshore announced the return of its PSV Siem Symphony to Canadian waters on Thursday. The vessel’s last gig in Canada was in 2019, however, thanks to this deal with BP, the vessel will return to Canadian waters in 2023. The company’s Canadian business unit, Siem Offshore Canada, will operate the vessel for the duration of this contract.

Following the PSV Siem Symphony’s last stay in Canada, this vessel, which is powered by LNG/MGO, has been upgraded with a 560kWh battery. The Norwegian shipping player highlights that the hybrid battery package – installed in 2021 – has reduced CO2 emissions by more than 1000t over the past year and saved more than 350m3 of fuel.

Furthermore, Siem Offshore confirms that it has installed batteries on 4 of its 28 vessels so far. These battery installations play “an important role in the company’s ESG plan,” which is targeting a 50 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030. In addition, the shipping firm is targeting an emission-neutral fleet by 2050.

Chris Pitts, VP Chartering & Business Development at Siem Offshore’s Canadian business unit, believes the return of the vessel to Canadian waters offers several opportunities: “We are excited to operate the Siem Symphony in Canada. The advanced propulsion system offers us an opportunity to transfer knowledge and skills to the local market in Newfoundland.”

The 2014-built Siem Symphony vessel is of VS 4411 DF design with a cargo deck area of 980 m2. This PSV can accommodate up to 25 people.

Over the past few months, Siem Offshore has been winning new deals for its vessels and extending existing ones. The most recent long-term deal was secured in September 2022 with Subsea 7 for an offshore subsea construction vessel (OSCV).