NorYards AS has signed a more than NOK650 million contract with NFDS 2 Offshore AS for outfitting and commissioning a new and modern anchor handling tug supply vessel (AHTS).
The modern anchor handling vessel is a sister ship of the anchor handling vessel currently being outfitted at NorYards Fosen (formerly Bergen Group Fosen) and due for delivery in Q2 this year.
The vessel is a VS 491 CD AHTS design, with an overall length of 91m, a breadth of 22m and a bollard pull of minimum 285t and with a ROV hangar.
The hull of the new anchor handling vessel will be completed at the Nantong Mingde Heavy Industries in China this summer, and is expected to arrive Fosen in September. The delivery date of the completed vessel is set to Q2 2015.
NorYards AS consists of NorYards BMV and NorYards Fosen. These two Norwegian shipyards have until now constituted the shipbuilding division of Bergen Group.
Both are due to be transferred to NorYards with the international company Calexco S.a.r.l as the new majority owner.
The contract with NFDX 2 Offshore is conditional that the agreement between Bergen Group and Calexco is finalized, as expected during April.
"This is an important milestone for NorYards. The contract is the first NorYards has achieved with an new international ownership in place", says CEO Johannes D. Neteland in Noryards AS.
NFDS 2 Offshore is a subsidiary of The Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskap, which is majority-owned by BOA Offshore.