The accommodation barge Kalmar arrived at Lerwick today and will be berthed at Albert Dock for up to 12 months.
A floatel, the Kalmar is on charter to Petrofac, the principal contractor for Shetland Gas Plant. Insufficient onshore accommodation exists in Shetland for their peak workforce, hence the need to bring in temporary accommodation.
Finding a suitable berth for the Kalmar has not been easy. Lerwick Port Authority has limited quays of the length required with ready access to shore services of electricity, fresh water and sewerage.
The deep-water berths further north in Lerwick harbour are all allocated for the larger vessels working offshore and for the heavy-lifts being brought in for Shetland Gas Plant. There is no other quay nearer to Shetland Gas Plant available.
Petrofac has informed Lerwick Port Authority that the residents onboard the Kalmar will be collected daily before 7am, returning in the evening.
The residents are rostered to work 7 days a week while in Shetland, and they will return home for their weeks off. There is no parking allocated to Kalmar as the residents will travel by coach to and from the Gas Plant site.
