Vard: Agreement for a next-generation eco-friendly cable laying vessel

Fincantieri subsidiary strengthens its position in the offshore wind market

Vard: Agreement for a next-generation eco-friendly cable laying vessel

Fincantieri Norwegian subsidiary Vard, one of the major global shipbuilders of specialized vessels, has signed an agreement for the design and construction of a highly innovative eco-friendly cable laying vessel with the Dutch company Van Oord, leader in several offshore segments, which has preferred the project of the Fincantieri subsidiary to those of several competing companies.
 
The ship will be built at the yards of Tulcea (Romania) and Brattvaag (Norway) and be delivered in 2023.    

 The vessel will have a length of 130 meters and a beam of 28 meters, and it will be used for the offshore wind farm activities. This will enable Vard to strengthen its position in the sector, as well as in the one of specialized high performance vessels facing the most demanding environmental conditions. The ship will upgrade the technological and sustainability level of Van Oord's fleet. Van Oord is a family-owned company with over 150 years of experience as a specialized marine contractor and about 5,000 employees.

The new unit will be based on the VARD 9 02 design, developed with the latest sustainable technologies for the reduction of the carbon footprint during operations and port mooring. Besides being run on biofuel, this hybrid vessel will feature future fuel ready engines with built-in flexibility to be powered with e-fuels, high-performance and low emissions synfuels. It will also have a large battery pack, a shore supply connection and a state-of-the-art energy management system. This sustainable set-up will result in higher energy efficiency, thus reducing CO2, NOx and SOx emissions.

The recent orders acquired by Vard confirm the company’s technological leadership in the sector of specialized vessels for the energy industry: a few weeks ago, Vard signed a contract with Ocean Infinity for 8 robotic vessels, featuring cutting-edge technologies to reduce environmental impact, such as fuel cells, and being among the first of their kind to be prepared for a green ammonia fuel system. In October, Vard signed an agreement for an additional state-of-the-art stern trawler for Luntos Co. Ltd, from which it had received a first order in 2019.

Last April, Vard entered the renewable energy sector with the contract for the design and construction of a Service Operation Vessel (SOV) for Ta San Shang Marine Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. (MOL) and Ta Tong Marine Co., Ltd. (TTM). The unit, the first of its kind in Asia, will be specifically conceived to perform maintenance operations to be carried out in the Greater Changhua Wind Farms by the Danish energy company Ørsted. In 2020, Vard acquired an order for a sophisticated unit for the company P/F Akraberg, part of the Framherji group, one of the leading and most innovative fishing companies in the Faroe Islands.