Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri's Vard unit and the Windward Offshore consortium have signed a contract for the design and construction of two hybrid Commissioning Service Operation Vessels for sustainable windfarm support, Fincantieri said in a statement on Monday.
The first CSOV is scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2025 and there is an option for two additional ships, the statement said.
The units, 87.5-metre long and with a beam of 19.5 metre, are readied for operation with green methanol and are equipped with a hybrid battery system.
The first hull will be built in Romania, while the final outfitting, commissioning and delivery will be carried out in Norway; the second vessel will be built and delivered in Vung Tau, Vietnam.
The ships will accommodate 120 people.
“This new order is a further confirmation of the expertise that Vard has developed in the CSOV market and strengthens the role of offshore wind as the third fundamental pillar of our business," said Fincantieri CEO and Managing Director Pierroberto Folgiero.
"Fincantieri can make a significant contribution to a technology that the whole world is investing in," Folgiero underlined.
Windward Offshore is an innovative venture spearheaded by industry leaders SeaRenergy Group, Asian Spirit Steamship Company's offshore services arm, Blue Star Group GmbH & Cie. KG, Diana Shipping Inc., and SeraVerse GmbH., according to the statement.
