Vard has secured a contract for the design and construction of another hybrid tailor-made Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) for Norwind Offshore.
Vard’s contract has been signed with Navigare Capital Partners, in close corporation with Norwind Offshore, and covers the design and construction of one CSOV, with options for two additional vessels.
The new vessel is of Vard 4 19 design, developed by Vard Design in Ålesund in close collaboration with Norwind Offshore. The CSOV is scheduled for delivery in early 2026. The hull will be built in Vard Shipyards Romania – Braila and the outfitting, commissioning and delivery will be by one of Vard’s yards in Norway.
This is the fifth CSOV newbuild Norwind Offshore has contracted with Vard since October 2021, in addition to the conversion of a PSV to a Service Operation Vessel (SOV).
CEO Norwind Offshore, Svein Leon Aure said: “We are happy to be able to continue fleet growth by placing another order with Vard. Over the past two years, we have experienced Vard’s reliability in terms of delivery time and quality and look forward to receiving another advanced offshore vessel of top quality.”
The first CSOV built for Norwind Offshore, Norwind Gale, is in operation. The next three vessels will be delivered in March, August, and November 2024 from Vard Brattvaag, Vard Vung Tau in Vietnam, and Vard Brattvaag, respectively.
Vard CEO Alberto Maestrini said: “We are proud to yet again be chosen by Norwind Offshore and Navigare Capital and to be a part of their journey towards a low carbon society. These five newbuild CSOVs and the rebuilt SOV show why Vard is the global leader in designing and building specialized vessels. We look forward to continuing the collaboration with Norwind Offshore.”
The Vard 4 19 design provides a platform for sustainable offshore wind farm support operations, focusing on onboard logistics, security, comfort, and operability. The 85m vessel has a beam of 19.5ms and will be equipped with a height-adjustable motion-compensated gangway with an elevator system, a 3D crane, and a height-adjustable boat landing system. The vessel will be installed with battery solutions. It will have accommodation for 87 persons on board.
Torgeir Haugan, Vard SVP Sales and Marketing said: “The new contract and the delivery programme of a total of six specialised vessels to Norwind Offshore and Navigare Capital contributes to strengthening Vard’s leading position within the market for offshore wind farm support vessels. We truly appreciate the cooperation with Norwind Offshore, and in these projects, we will further develop our relationship.”
The new vessel will have Vard Electro’s SeaQ Integrated Bridge System installed, and is prepared for a full digital vessel overview through the SeaQ Green Pilot that enables the owner to have a full overview of the energy consumption statistics. For control and monitoring of the vessel’s systems, the newbuilding will be equipped with Vard Electro’s SeaQ Integrated Alarm System (IAS), Power Management System (PMS), and Energy Management System (EMS) to have full control of the vessel hybrid system. Vard subsidiary Seaonics will support the environmental focus with an all-electric lift and handling package. Vard Interiors will deliver interior solutions with green HVAC-R and piping systems.
Image: Vard 4 19 CSOV (source: Vard)
