Vard wins $200m cable lay and construction vessel order from Japan’s Toyo
Norway’s Vard, part of Italian shipbuilding giant Fincantieri, has secured a contract from Japan’s Toyo Construction to design and build a power cable lay and construction vessel.
Toyo Construction, which has set out to take the top share in Japan’s offshore wind construction sector, is paying more than $200m for the 149.6 m long ship that will become the largest work vessel in its fleet.
The hybrid vessel of VARD 9 15 design is prepared for inter-array, export and interconnector cable lay as well as cable burial operation and construction work such as ground-based foundation work, floating offshore wind mooring work, and marine resource-related projects.
Vard said the unit, with a cable carrying capacity of 9000 tons, will have an optimal hull design to suit the natural and construction conditions in Japan, allowing it to be used in both shallow waters and deep waters.
The hull will be built at Vard Shipyards Romania in Tulcea and be outfitted and delivered from one of VARD’s shipyards in Norway in the second quarter of 2026. The newbuild will feature a large battery pack, a shore supply connection, and an energy management system that should result in higher energy efficiency reducing CO2, NOx, and SOx emissions.
