Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has signed a contract with an undisclosed Taiwanese customer for the design and construction of two Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs).
The customer has appointed VARD to design and construct two CSOVs’ of VARD 4 39 design.
This is a new design from VARD, said to be highly versatile all-round platform for sustainable windfarm support operations both as a service vessel for the wind farms and for the building and installation phase.
The first vessel will be built, outfitted, commissioned, and delivered in the fourth quarter of 2026, with the second scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2027, according to Vard.
The full length of vessels is 102.7 meters with a beam of 19.5 meters.
The vessels are prepared with a large external deck and a hull shape that both supports the fuel efficient CSOV operation and future integration of a modular power and fiber optic cable lay and repair spread.
It includes a full electrical equipment package, including a battery package, crane and W2W gangway system. The energy storage system of 1,240kWh will support hybrid propulsion and fuel-efficient operations. Vard noted that the CSOVs’ are also prepared for future fuels.
The vessels have an aggregated hotel capacity of 120 persons, whereof 90 is allocated in large single cabins.
The new vessels will have Vard Electro’s SeaQ Bridge system installed - a bridge solution with an intuitive user interface designed for a safer and more efficient operation with the operator in focus.
Vard’s specialized subsidiary Seaonics supports the project with delivery of a fully-electric lift and handling system. The delivery includes a fully specked Electric Controlled Motion Compensated (ECMC) 30-meter walk-to-work gangway featuring a 3-ton 3D compensated crane and personnel elevator.
For efficient cargo handling Seaonics will supply the ECMC 7-ton 3D compensated crane.