Vard, one of the leading shipbuilders in specializing in vessels, has recently made it to the front page following its announcement of securing a contract of delivering three service operation vessels (SOVs) to North Star Renewables. For the uninitiated, North Star Renewables has been committed to delivering a new fleet of SOV’s to address the evolving demand of Offshore Wind O&M operations.

Reports have it that through this potential contract win, Vard would be responsible for the development and construction of three SOVs, which are anticipated to consist of one larger vessel based on Vard 4 19 design and two based on the small Vard 4 12 design.

Importantly, the larger ship would boast of a size 85m-long and would be capable of accommodating nearly 78 people in single cabins. The use of this ship would be to facilitate controlled maintenance.

In addition to this, the other two vessels are estimated to be 78m-long each and would be designed to take over corrective maintenance operations. According to official sources, the 78m-long vessels are deemed to be capable of adjusting 60 people in single cabins.

It has been reported that the vessels would be built in close partnership with North Star Renewables at the Vung Tau shipyard in the Vietnam province. Moreover, other suppliers operating in the proximity of the Norwegian maritime cluster are also likely to be involved in the project.

Speaking on the latest deal, Alberto Maestrini, CEO of Vard, mentioned that the company is constantly working towards delivering the best possible solutions to its customers with the recent contract being no exception to it.

The SOVs are expected to be delivered to North Star Renewables by 2023 end, following which, they would be deployed in the offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is currently under construction in the North Sea.

Source Credit: https://www.ship-technology.com/news/vard-contract-three-service-operation-vessels/