News / Sixth vessel as Petrofac workforce grows
THE SIXTH floating accommodation vessel to house the growing number of construction workers racing to complete the Total gas plant in Shetland berthed in Lerwick harbour on Monday.
The cruise ship Gemini has been chartered by main contractor Petrofac for an initial three months to accommodate 400 personnel.
It arrived from Tilbury and will be stationed at the Dales Voe base, though it may have to move occasionally to suit other vessel movements.
Lerwick harbour now has three ships and three flotels housing well over 1,000 workers as it ramps up activity at Sullom Voe in a bid to start producing gas from the Laggan-Tormore field west of Shetland by the end of the year.
The company has long since abandoned its original target of producing gas by this summer.
In March the Baltic ferry Regina Britannica was berthed at Mair’s Yard to accommodate 300 workers, but will have to move next month to make way for construction of the harbour’s new Holmsgarth North jetty.
In January the Ocean Endeavour with 193 cabins arrived at Victoria pier, to join the three existing accommodation barges Kalmar, Sans Vitesse and Bibby Stockholm berthed in various parts of the port.
Meanwhile the Bibby Challenge remains berthed in Scalloway to house workers refurbishing the BP-operated oil terminal at Sullom Voe.
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