Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has signed a contract with Wind Energy Construction for the design and construction of a new energy construction vessel (ECV), securing also an option for one additional vessel.
Wind Energy Construction is a Norwegian company partly owned by the founders and owners of Norwind Offshore. The most recent order marks the sixth vessel the owners of Norwind Offshore have contracted with Vard since October 2021. The five previous vessels were CSOVs.
The parties have also agreed on an option for one additional vessel which can be declared later in 2024.
The ECV will be of VARD 3 11 design, a design tailor-made for the offshore wind and subsea market, including inspection, maintenance and repair of pipes, and construction and installation of infrastructure above and below sea level.
It will be 111,5 meters long with beam of 22,4 meters. This is the first construction vessel Vard will build with a motion-compensated gangway (walk-to-work) permanently installed.
A walk-to-work Electric Controlled Motion Compensated (ECMC) gangway with integrated 3D compensated crane functionality will be added, as well as movement-compensated offshore crane of 150 tons to expand capacities, especially towards the growing renewables market.
The vessel will be built, outfitted, commissioned and delivered from Vard Vung Tau in Vietnam and is scheduled to for delivery in the second quarter of 2027.
“We are pleased to have – together with VARD, developed a new vessel category which will enable the development of renewable energy to an even greater extent.
“The concept builds on vessels within the construction market which we have previously built with VARD, and we feel confident that this will play an important role in the development of, among other things, offshore wind in the coming years,” said Svein Leon Aure, CEO of Norwind Offshore.