BIMCO adopts new tug, barge and “floating hotel” contracts
BIMCO has extended its library of offshore industry standard contracts with the adoption of ASVTIME – a time charter party for accommodation support vessels. Updates of BIMCO’s ocean towage agreements – TOWCON and TOWHIRE – have also been adopted along with a new edition of its charter party for hiring unmanned barges – BARGEHIRE.
The four new contracts were adopted by BIMCO’s Documentary Committee at its meeting held on 25 January and will be published shortly.
ASVTIME is the first offshore contract written by BIMCO designed to meet the needs of two distinct sectors – oil and gas sector and renewables. The charter party is based on the widely used SUPPLYTIME form and was developed with input from renewable majors Ørsted and Siemens Gamesa together with the Italian oil company Eni. Wagenborg Offshore, Deme and Floatel International provided owners’ perspective, with legal and shipbroking input from Wikborg Rein and Hagland Shipbrokers. The contract provides a choice of optional services in addition to accommodation – these include the use of motion compensated gangways, cranes, offshore bunkering, and the use of daughter craft.