Recently, the Norwegian Vard Shipyard, a subsidiary of Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri, held a steel-cutting ceremony for the high-end customized hybrid cable-laying construction vessel (Hull No. NB 980) for Japan’s offshore wind market, marking the vessel’s official entry into the construction phase. The vessel, which is being invested in by Toyo Construction, is said to be Japan’s largest cable-laying vessel to date.
At the end of 2023, Japan’s Toyo Construction signed a contract with Norwegian shipyard Vard for the construction of the cable-laying vessel, with an order value of more than $200 million, which is expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2026.
The new vessel, which will be of VARD 9 15 design, is said to have been developed specifically to meet the needs of the Japanese offshore wind market as well as those of customers operating globally, and will have an optimal hull design suited to Japan’s natural and construction conditions for use in floating offshore wind and DC transmission projects in both shallow and deep waters.
With a length of 150 meters, a beam of 28 meters and a maximum speed of 13 knots, the new vessel is equipped with 90 single cabins for 90 persons, powered by five main gensets and two sets of batteries, with a cable load capacity of 9,000 tons, and will be used for inter-array, HVAC outlet and interconnection cable laying, as well as for cable laying operations and construction work. Huisman is responsible for the supply of one 250-ton all-electric hybrid boom underwater crane and one 100-ton folding crane.
In addition to its use as a self-propelled cable-laying vessel, the vessel is equipped with high-performance cranes and large deck space suitable for multi-purpose applications such as ground-based engineering, floating wind moorings and marine resource-related engineering, and will be fitted with a four-point mooring system and a helicopter deck, Vard Shipyard said.
SeaQ equipment and solutions will be supplied by Vard Electro, including SeaQ Power with an energy storage system, distribution panels and shore power connections, as well as the ship’s networking, entertainment and communications systems, while Vard Interiors will provide interior solutions and green HVAC R systems.
Toyo Construction is understood to be a Japanese integrated construction company that operates civil and building construction businesses globally, with a wide range of workboats, and builds a variety of projects such as container terminals and offshore airports. In 2023, Toyo Construction and MOL established a joint venture focused on offshore wind power, through which they hope to create stronger synergies in a wide range of areas related to offshore wind power, including survey planning, workboat procurement and offshore construction.