Vard, one of the major global shipbuilders of specialized vessels, has signed a contract for the design and construction of 3 Service Operation Vessels (SOV) for the Scottish company North Star Renewables, which has preferred the project of Fincantieri subsidiary to those of several competitors.

The vessels, developed in close cooperation with the customer, will be built at the Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam, and will be delivered in 2023. They will be deployed in the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, located more than 130 km off the North East coast of England in the North Sea, which, once completed, will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm. Some of the leading players in the sector, including SSE Renewables, Equinor and Eni, operate in the farm.

The largest vessel, based on Vard 4 19 design and specifically designed for controlled maintenance, will be 85 meters long and accommodating 78 persons in single cabins. The other two, based on the Vard 4 12 design, has been developed for corrective maintenance, being 78 meters long and accommodating 60 persons in single cabins. They will have a height adjustable wave-motion compensated gangway with elevator system, a height adjustable boat transfer system, and a 3D-compensated crane for cargo transfer.

The projects have been designed for an extreme marine environment such as the one of the North Sea, with special attention to safety, comfort on board and environmental footprint, with a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion including battery solution for carbon-neutral operations in the future.

This achievement allows Vard to strengthen its position in this particular segment of the offshore market and in the one of specialized high-performance vessels, even in the most challenging environmental conditions. The offshore renewable energy sector is in a transition phase, shifting from a European-only industry to a global market. Having already developed several concepts of this type of vessels, Vard will be able to take advantage of the sector growing trend, with important activities being started both in Asia and North America, and large investments being made in Europe, as demonstrated by the result achieved today by the Norwegian company.