Vard Group has begun construction of yard number NB 985, an Energy Construction Vessel (ECV) of the VARD 3 11 design, following a steel-cutting ceremony on 6 October at the Vard Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam, the company said in a statement.
The vessel is being built for Wind Energy Construction AS (WEC), a company co-owned by the founders of Norwind Offshore, with delivery expected in the second quarter of 2027.
According to the companies, the ECV is designed for offshore wind and subsea operations, including construction, installation, and inspection, maintenance, and repair work.
The vessel will measure 111.5 meters in length and 22.4 meters in beam, with accommodations for 120 people. It will include a permanently installed motion-compensated walk-to-work gangway integrated with a 3D-compensated crane, as well as a 150-ton heave-compensated offshore crane.
The vessel will be built, outfitted, commissioned, and delivered at Vard Vung Tau. It will feature Vard Electro’s SeaQ package with a 1 MWh energy storage system, battery-hybrid and methanol-ready propulsion, a helideck, and approximately 950 square meters of deck space.
“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… 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 Norwind Offshore CEO Svein Leon Aure.
Vard Group AS is a Norwegian shipbuilding company that specializes in designing and constructing offshore and specialized vessels. It operates shipyards in several countries, including Norway, Romania, and Vietnam. Vard Group AS is a subsidiary of Fincantieri S.p.A., one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups headquartered in Trieste, Italy.
Wind Energy Construction AS is a Norwegian company focused on providing maritime services for offshore construction projects, including those related to renewable energy. It is co-owned by the founders of Norwind Offshore AS, as well as partners O.N. Sunde AS and RGI Marine AS.
