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North Star returns to Vard for more offshore wind service vessels

UK offshore support vessel owner and operator North Star has returned to Fincantieri-controlled Norwegian shipbuilder Vard with an order for up to four offshore wind farm commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs).

The hulls of the two firm ships will be built at one of Vard’s yards in Romania and outfitted, commissioned, and delivered from one of the yards in Norway in the first half of 2025. Financial details have not been disclosed.

The vessels are the next in a series of orders the Partners Group-owned North Star has contracted with Vard so far. In 2021, the firm placed four SOV newbuild orders with Vard in Vietnam, all of which will support the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank, on long-term charters. The first three ships will commence operations this year, ahead of schedule, with the final to be delivered in 2024.

“Vard is one of the world’s most well-respected, high-quality shipyard groups, with an unrivalled track record for reliability in the C/SOV market. We have built an excellent relationship over recent years, allowing us to bring high quality vessels to the market on time,” said North Star CEO Matthew Gordon.

The vessels are of VARD 4 22 design and feature the latest hull design optimised for low fuel consumption and resistance, as well as high operability and comfort, the shipbuilder said.

“The new contracts with North Star contributes to strengthening Vard’s leading position within the market for offshore windfarm support vessels. These contracts are in line with our mission to enable sustainable business at sea: as a shipbuilder, it is a huge motivation for us to be able to effectively contribute to the green transition, added Alberto Maestrini, CEO of Vard.

Adis Ajdin

Adis is an experienced news reporter with a background in finance, media and education. He has written across the spectrum of offshore energy and ocean industries for many years and is a member of International Federation of Journalists. Previously he had written for Navingo media group titles including Offshore Energy, Subsea World News and Marine Energy.
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