Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has secured a contract for the design and construction of one tailor-made offshore wind commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) for Norwind Offshore, with options for two additional vessels.
Vard signed the contract with Navigare Capital Partners, a shareholder in Norwind Offshore.
The new CSOV vessel, scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2026, is of VARD 4 19 design, developed by Vard Design in Ålesund in close collaboration with Norwind Offshore.
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.
Tailor-made for worldwide services and maintenance operations, the VARD 4 19 design is a versatile platform for offshore wind farm support operations, focusing on onboard logistics, security, comfort, and operability.
The 85-meter vessel has a beam of 19.5 meters and will be equipped with a height-adjustable motion-compensated gangway with an elevator system, a 3-D crane, and a height-adjustable boat landing system. The vessel will be installed with battery solutions, and will have accommodation for 87 persons on board.
This is the fifth CSOV newbuild Norwind Offshore has contracted with Vard since October 2021, in addition to the conversion of a platform supply vessel (PSV) to a service operation vessel (SOV).
“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,” said Svein Leon Aure, CEO of Norwind Offshore.
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.
“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,” Alberto Maestrini, CEO of Vard said.