New £5.3m vessel to be 'income stream' for Jersey Ports

The vessel will undertake commercial work around the UK and EU

A £5.3m workboat purchased to operate around the UK and EU will "plough" profit into Ports of Jersey, the government-owned operation said.

Viking Energy is a five-year-old "multipurpose workboat" currently based in Romania, ports management said.

Bolstering the workboat fleet to four, it will undertake "commercial work", Ports of Jersey added.

Donford Nicholas, head of marine services, said the team had developed a "new income stream" for the ports.

He added: "Our small fleet of workboats will support our investment in Jersey's future.

"As always, any profit from our operating activities off-island is ploughed back into the business, as we continue to develop and invest in services for the benefit of islanders, visitors, and businesses."

Managed by the Marine Services Team, the Landfall Fleet also includes the Duchess, the Duke of Normandy and the Elisa.

In 2023, the fleet's income amounted to £4.5m, it said.

They were used on a range of projects in some of the UK's largest ports and all three vessels were involved in windfarm projects off the coast of the UK and in Holland, Ports of Jersey said.

In 2023 The Duke of Normandy worked 265 days of the year, the Duchess 298 days and the Elisa 302 days.

The Duchess returned to Jersey in December 2023 to assist with the berthing trials of the Finlandia Seaways, it said.