Blue Thunder (Kingsborg)
New name: Kingsborg. Originally build as a medium-sized platform supply vessel with an optimum combination of fuel efficiency and deadweight, and a capacity and performance close to larger PSVs. In 2023, she is undergoing a conversion to Emergency Response Rescue Vessel (ERRV).
Primary Specifications
Additional Data
Ship history
The ship investment company Blue Ship Invest (BSI), a part of Ulstein Group, ordered ten platform supply vessels of the PX121 design from 2010 to 2014. Eight were acquired by Nordic American Offshore (NAO), and the rest were later sold to various ship owners.
'Blue Thunder' was delivered to BSI on Monday, 13 May 2013. The lady sponsor, Torild Bugge, named her at Ulstein Verft. On 1 November 2013, NAO purchased the vessel and renamed her 'NAO Thunder'.
Ulstein decided to focus on this ship type based on careful market analysis. The vessels have an optimum combination of fuel efficiency and deadweight and a capacity and performance that approach those of larger PSVs. They can take on most tasks usually handled by slightly larger PSVs, but at a lower operating cost.
Milestones
2013: Nordic American Offshore (NAO) acquired the first six vessels on 1 November 2013. Blue Prosper was renamed NAO Prosper.
2015: On 26 January 2015, NAO acquired two more vessels of the same design, Blue Storm and Blue Viking.
2015-2016: The final two of the ten vessels, Blue Queen and Blue King, were delivered to Blue Ship Invest.
2019: Nordic American Offshore changed its name to Hermitage Offshore Services Ltd, effective 4 June 2019. All the vessels changed their names to "Hermit" prefix.
2020: Pearl Bidco AS, a company owned by DNB and SEB, acquired all vessels in the Hermitage Offshore fleet.
2022: All vessels that Hermitage Offshore owns were sold to Borealis Maritime. Later in 2022, Hermit Storm, Hermit Power, Hermit Protector and Hermit Thunder changed ownership and name. The new owner is Aurora Offshore, and the vessels have been renamed Aurora Storm, Aurora Power, Aurora Protector and Aurora Thunder.
2023: Aurora Thunder was sold to Wagenborg for conversion to a multi-purpose Emergency Response Rescue Vessel with a dedicated accommodation module in accordance with the SPS-60 class and a heavy motion-compensated offshore crane. In November 2023, the vessel, renamed Kingsborg, was taken into service after the conversion project had been completed. In a long-term agreement, the ship supports subsea activities and decommissioning operations in the southern North Sea.