Vessel Conversion of the Year Award for Walk to Work vessel 'Koenigsborg'

This award recognises a conversion  project that has broken new ground and/or significantly improved an OSV design, build and/or operational aspect of an in-service OSV over the last 12 months. Director for Wagenborg Offshore Edwin de Vries: "For us, this prize is confirmation of the successful intensive collaboration between Wagenborg and our yard, Royal Niestern Sander. Together we have developed the best possible walk to work concept using the best possible resources in the market."

November 2021 an existing PX121 platform supply ship was converted into the walk to work vessel within 20 weeks at shipyard Royal Niestern Sander in Delfzijl. In this period, approximately 80 employees worked on the innovative conversion of Koenigsborg, which gave an impulse to regional employment. The walk to work vessel was equipped with an additional accommodation module for 40 people. Also, a motion-compensated gangway was installed to comply with all requirements. Early 2022 Koenigsborg was taken into service by Wagenborg Offshore on the Southern North Sea.

With four operational walk to work vessels on the North Sea, Wagenborg can be considered as one of the market leaders in this offshore niche. In 2018 Wagenborg delivered ‘Kasteelborg’, a similar vessel after a similar conversion project for Shell. In 2020 the ‘Keizersborg’ was delivered to another oil & gas major, also after a conversion project. Together with 'ship of the year' Kroonborg, all walk-to-work vessels have proved to be very successful in recent years. In addition to efficiency and logistical advantages, the walk-to-work vessels also has a positive effect on the environment by reducing helicopters flights significantly.