Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has secured contracts to design and build three hybrid service operation vessels (SOVs) for North Star Renewables in Scotland to operate on a 10-year charter on the Dogger Bank wind farm in the North Sea.
One of the diesel-electric trio will be 85 m long of the Vard 4 19 design and the other two 78 m long vessels are of the Vard 4 12 design.
Vard CEO, Alberto Maestrini, said: “At Vard, we continuously strive to deliver the best possible solution to our customers. Our dedicated team have had a close cooperation with North Star in developing these innovative ships for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, and we look forward to continuing that good teamwork in developing future-oriented and environmentally friendly vessels for the renewables market. This market will continue to be one of the main pillars to support Vard’s growth.”
North Star Renewables CEO, Matthew Gordon, stated: “We’ve worked closely with the team at Vard for over two years on the development of our SOVs for Dogger Bank. I’m delighted to be able to say that the work which went into to designing the vessels to meet the optimal standards of workability, comfort, safety and sustainability has resulted in us securing the award of three vessels on long term charters, which is a huge step for North Star on our journey to becoming a leading player within the SOV market.”
The three SOVs will be built at Vard Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam, with deliveries to North Star set for 2023.
Dogger Bank is currently under construction by joint venture partners SSE Renewables, Equinor and Eni and when completed will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm.
