Østensjø selger "Edda Fonn" til New Zealands marine

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Østensjø Rederi has agreed to sell Edda Fonn

Østensjø Rederi (ØR) has signed a contract to sell Edda Fonn to the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).

The vessel will be outfitted with dive-, ROV- and hydrographic system by ØR early next year, before being delivered to the RNZN in Auckland in May 2019. The modifications are as per RNZN specification and will be carried out in close cooperation with the purchaser. Once ready for operations, Edda Fonn will replace two vessels that have been decommissioned from the RNZN.

“Edda Fonn was built in 2003 and has served our company to great satisfaction. However, we are very pleased with the sale, and it will give our company opportunity to reinvest in new tonnage”, says CEO Kenneth Walland.

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Foto: Ukjent via Østensjø
 
Govt buys new navy ship with remaining money after frigate blowout

The Government has pinched pennies to replace the navy dive and hydrographic vessel after the frigate upgrade cost blowout.

On Wednesday, Defence Minister Ron Mark announced the latest in a recent stream of major defence procurements.

Next year, the Royal New Zealand Navy would welcome the 85-metre Norwegian-built mulit-role offshore support vessel, the MV Edda Fonn.

The ship would be used for the likes of undersea search and rescue, seabed surveillance following earthquakes like the 2016 Kaikoura quake, and removing unexploded mines in the Pacific Islands.

Plans to replace the ageing HMNZS Resolution and HMNZS Manawanui with a single ship, began under the previous Government, and the money was appropriated at the time.

Former defence minister Gerry Brownlee likened the planned replacement ship to a "swiss army knife".

However, a $148m blowout of the frigate upgrade budget meant some of the money previously marked for the new diving and hydrographic ship had to be redirected to cover the overspend. This meant Mark had to reset his sights on a second-hand vessel, rather than a new build.

"The MV Edda Fonn will be a great addition to the Navy," Mark said

"Not only will it meet the Government's needs, it will be in service three years earlier than a newly-built ship would have been."

The ship, which was under lease until the end of 2018, would be modified and in service by November 2019

"This vessel will ensure that the current capability gaps for diving and hydrography are filled as quickly as possible, with a proven, well-tested platform," Mark said.

"Defence officials have subjected the Edda Fonn to considerable scrutiny ahead of purchase... We have been assured by independent experts that it is in excellent condition, and will handle well in the operations the Defence Force will use it for."

The vessel, owned and operated by Norwegian company Østensjø Rederi, was identified as the most suitable option from an initial list of 150 offshore and subsea support vessels considered by defence officials.

The modern design and systems of the dive and hydrographic vessel would provide improved capacity, speed, safety, and capability over the previous vessels, Mark said.

Some of the new capabilities include a 100-tonne salvage crane, a remotely operated vehicle, and a contemporary dynamic positioning system, aimed at allowing Navy specialist divers to achieve greater levels of effectiveness and safety, in a greater range of conditions.

This purchase is the latest in a string of major equipment upgrades for the New Zealand Defence Force.

The current upgrade of New Zealand's two frigates was due to be completed in November, at a cost of $639m.

And in July, Mark announced the purchase of four Boeing P-8A Poseidons, to replace the ageing P-3K Orions maritime surveillance aircraft, at a cost of $2.3 billion.

Kilde: Stuff

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Fotomontasje: Ukjent
 
Edda Fonn on her way to New Zealand

It was in August 2018 that Østensjø Rederi released the news about selling Edda Fonn to the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).

Edda Fonn has served our company to great satisfaction. However, we are very pleased with the sale and it will give our company the opportunity to invest in new tonnage, says CEO Kenneth Walland.

Excellent operations and high technical standards make Edda Fonn an attractive vessel with a very good reputation. She was chosen as the most suitable option from a list of 150 vessels reviewed by the New Zealand Authorities.

In Frederikshavn
To meet RNZN’s needs for rebuilding and adaptations of Edda Fonn, Østensjø Rederi offered them a “turnkey” solution with a rebuilt vessel. The vessel has, therefore, spent the last weeks being rebuilt in Frederikshavn, Denmark. She is now outfitted with dive-, ROV- and hydrographic systems. Her bright colors have been replaced by the Navy’s grey paint.

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Photo: Østensjø Rederi

Delivery in Auckland
During the next weeks, 12 New Zealanders and our crew of 13 and will cross many oceans and cover 12,105 nautical miles, before reaching their destination in Auckland. The voyage starts by heading towards the English Canal, along to the French coast, and the Portuguese Azorean islands, before heading towards the Caribbean. The vessel will then transit through the Panama Canal before crossing the Equator and cruising across the vast Pacific Ocean towards Wellington and Auckland. Once in Auckland, Edda Fonn will be re-named HMNZS Manawanui. Her home port will be Gisborne.

New tasks await Edda Fonn in New Zealand
The vessel will be utilized for military- and Coast Guard functions. She may also be used to carry out crane-, diving- and ROV operations, assisting Pacific nations with rescue operations or handling natural disasters.

Edda Fonn was Østensjø Rederi’s first purpose-built vessel for the offshore market. She has performed eminently for fifteen years. She will now continue to serve the New Zealand Ministry of Defence for at least another fifteen years, perhaps even longer.

Kilde: Østensjø
 
Edda Fonn has berthed in Wellington, NZ

After 46 days traveling from the conversion yard in Denmark via Panama, Edda Fonn has finally reached New Zealand. The now diving support and hydrographic survey vessel is sold from Østensjø Rederi, Norway to the Royal New Zealand Navy. The vessel, who will be re-named HMNZS Manawanui, will be utilised for disaster relief, search and recovery and explosives disposal in the Pacific.

A typical mission for Edda Fonn could be to the islands in Fiji. Using just over three days to get to the islands and being able to hold station there for close to a month. The vessel’s excellent fuel-efficiency will be essential in the vast waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Edda Fonn has now shifted to Auckland, where ownership will be transferred to the Crown on May 21st. It will spend the rest of the year being fitted with military equipment.

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Foto: Royal New Zaeland Navy
 
21. May, 2019
Ownership of Edda Fonn officially transferred to New Zealand’s Ministry of Defense

This morning, at 07:00 hours Norway time, the ownership of Edda Fonn was officially transferred to the Ministry of Defense and the Royal New Zealand Navy, in Auckland, NZ.

Some Østensjø Rederi crew will remain on the vessel for a few more weeks to ease the transition, but the vessel is now fully owned by the Ministry of Defense.

-Since the arrival in Wellington, The Royal New Zealand Navy has given us very positive feedback on the vessel and the service and knowledge of our crew. We’re proud to deliver a vessel of such excellent technical- and operational standard to the New Zealand Navy. We wish them all the best and hope the vessel will serve them well in many years to come, says CEO of Østensjø Rederi, Kenneth Walland.

Kilde: Østensjø
 
Commissioning of HMNZS Manawanui

“Her Majesty’s New Zealand Ship Manawanui was commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy by the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the ship’s sponsor, in an event at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland.

So sounds the media statement from the New Zealand Government on Friday 7 June. The previously Østensjø Rederi owned vessel, Edda Fonn, has been re-named HMNZS Manawanui and is now owned by the Royal New Zealand Navy. The official commissioning of the vessel took place during a formal ceremony which included the traditional breaking of a bottle of wine, and the pronouncement by the New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, that “I name this ship, Her Majesty’s New Zealand ship, Manawanui”.

HMNZS Manawanui is the fourth ship of the Royal New Zealand Navy to hold the name. Manawanui in English means ‘steadfast’ or ‘big heart’. Manawanui will serve as a dive and hydrographic vessel for the Royal New Zealand Navy.

Shipowner Johannes Østensjø and CEO of Østensjø Rederi, Kenneth Walland joined the traditional commissioning ceremony in Auckland and are very pleased with the sale and the bright future the vessel holds with the New Zealand Navy.

– The process of selling Edda Fonn has been nothing but a success story for Østensjø Rederi. Not only has the sale benefitted our company financially, but the entire procurement process and dealing with the Royal New Zealand Navy has been seamless – having the vessel delivered with modifications in the space of ten months since signing the contract in August 2018, Walland says.

The Prime Minister concluded Friday’s traditional ceremony with the words to Manawanui’s crew, “kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui; be strong, be brave, be steadfast.”

Game changer
New Zealand’s Defence Minister, Ron Mark said in a media statement that, “Manawanui is a highly capable ship, and will be a game changer domestically and for our South Pacific region, where it will operate frequently.

– It is pleasing to read that the Navy considers Edda Fonn a “game changer”. It’s a confirmation to us that we’re doing right in the extensive maintenance of our vessels, says Walland.

Friday’s ceremony was the first time in nine years a Royal New Zealand Navy ship has been commissioned.

Kilde: Østensjø

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
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Foto: Petty Officer Chris Weissenborn / Royal New Zealand Navy via Østensjø
 
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