In June 2019, OSM Thome Brasil was awarded a 23-year contract with one of the most relevant Ship Owners on the planet, the BW Group. Alone, this was something to be proud of.
Considering the “BW Magna” was the first FSRU where we started to place seafarers and that operations were in Brazil, we knew this was no ordinary project. It was, at the same time, promising and challenging.
FSRUs (Floating Storage and Regasification Units) are a recent technology and are becoming increasingly present around the Globe as the quest for cleaner and more flexible energy solutions escalates. Despite more apparent differences (as the fact that FSRUs are almost stationary units), a different mindset is necessary on board, and the way to manage and train our personnel also diverges from standard tankers. There are fewer available personnel familiarized with gas carriers and L.N.G. than conventional takers. Keeping retention and attractiveness high is a must, especially in such a long project where the human factor is critical to honor the memory of the operation and optimize the ship’s performance.
The “BW Magna” was explicitly designed for the GNA project, an L.N.G.-based thermoelectric powerplant in Rio de Janeiro with the capacity to generate enough energy to supply 14 million households. Partnering with the BW Group to recruit and train the most suitable professionals and do the very best to ensure that compliance with all requirements would be fulfilled was not only exciting but also an opportunity to have an in-depth view of the peculiarities of managing crew on board this type of vessel. We are now going to the 5th year of the project.
Building up from this experience, in 2022, we also had the honor to be chosen to place seafarers on board the “Karmol Asia,” an FSRU that belongs to the M.O.L. Group, a corporative giant with branches across many segments. We gladly had a friendly match between our administrative personnel and our contacts in the M.O.L. London Office, and we are now completing the project’s first year. We used what we learned from the B.W. project to mobilize the local workforce and create a strong partnership with our customers. We look forward to overcoming challenges and ensuring that our Seafarer’s performance is crucial for our customer’s successful operations.
Recently, in February 2023, we took over the management of the Brazilian Crew for two more FSRUs: Energos Winter and Energos Nanook, operated by CoolCo. We got two ships at once, and 60 professionals were transferred from the previous employer to OSM Thome. This time, a new experience element was achieved in operationalizing the transfer of a significant number of personnel from one employer to another seamlessly, avoiding problems in the operation. The takeover was on February 10th, and we completed the process.
We are managing Brazilian seafarers on board 4 FSRUs on Brazilian waters and expect more to come.
Special thanks to OSM Thome Brasil’s Account Manager, Rodrigo Castro, for sharing this milestone and valuable insights.