Vard lands fourth SOV contract for Dogger Bank Wind Farm
Illustration of the SOVs for North Star (Source: Vard)
Fincantieri subsidiary, Vard, has won a contract to build a fourth Service Operation Vessel (SOV) for the UK’s North Star Group. The 78m-long vessel will be built to a Vard 4 12 design and is due for delivery from the shipbuilder’s Vietnam facility, Vard Vung Tau, in 2024.
The vessel will be deployed in the handling of corrective maintenance services on Dogger Bank C. The wind farm is being developed jointly by partners SSE Renewables, Equinor, and Eni and, when completed, it will be the world’s largest offshore wind facility.
Matthew Gordon, North Star CEO, commented: “Securing the final SOV contract required for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm development for at least the next decade is fantastic news. Together with Vard, we have designed a sustainable renewables fleet that elevates SOVs into a new era of comfort, safety, reliability, and workability. The technology on board includes low fuel consumption, digital decision support technology, advanced propulsion systems, hybrid power management, and a waste heat recovery system.”
Vard’s senior vice president, Sales & Marketing, Runar Vågnes, said: “The close and resourceful cooperation with the North Star team, involving the end users, shipowner, designer, suppliers, and the shipyard alike, has led to innovative SOV designs for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm we can all be proud of. This, and the trust and confidence developed during the project, has led to a welcome newbuilding contract of a fourth vessel for the field.”
