Danish-owned Viking Supply Ships (VSS) named its latest vessel, the Brage Viking, at Aberdeen harbour yesterday.
The anchor-handling vessel, the last in a series of four new ships for Viking Supply Ships, cost about £50million and has already been working in the North Sea.
VSS chief executive Christian Berg said the decision to invest in the new ships was driven by a growing North Sea market due to vessels leaving for places such as Brazil and as activity was increasing in the sector globally, especially in sub-Arctic areas such as off Greenland and in the Barents Sea.
The Brage Viking, built in Spain, was designed to work in areas with severe ice conditions, such as the Barents. She has about 15 crew but can accommodate 40 people.
VSS has an office in Aberdeen, with nine people operating six supply vessels. The firm’s four anchor handlers are operated out of the firm’s headquarters in Copenhagen.
The company’s base in Aberdeen grew out of SBS Marine, which VSS bought off its own ultimate parent and renamed. As part of a rebranding, all the ships are to be repainted yellow and black.