VARD wins largest-ever contract

Marine research company, Inkfish, has placed an order at Vard for a deep-sea research vessel worth close to EUR 700 million. It is the largest order ever won by the Fincantieri subsidiary and the largest-ever newbuilding contract in Norway.

The RV11000 design, developed jointly by Vard Design, Inkfish, and technical partner YTMC, is intended for seabed mapping, corer operations, submarine handling and support, and the operation of remotely operated vehicles down to depths of up to 11,000m.

The 162m-long vessel will be based on a Vard 9 42 design with similar features incorporated in the smaller research vessel, a 100m-long RV6000 ordered at Vard in 2025. Both vessels will work alongside the research vessels, RV Hydra and RV Dragon.

Key features of the RV11000 vessel include a stern-mounted A-frame for submarine launch and recovery, a submarine hangar for maintenance and storage of two submarines, an ROV hangar with handling system for launch either through a centre moonpool or from the ship side, a 12-km flexible control cable and winch system below deck, and a 40m-long corer system for vertical soil and sediment sampling.

The ship will also have an offshore crane for operations down to 2,500m with active heave compensation, four active stabilisers for reduced motions and up to 12 hours of silent mode operation using the largest-ever battery system installed on a vessel. There will be high-grade accommodation for up to 130 persons, crew and scientists, in mostly single cabins.

The vessel is due for delivery in the first quarter of 2030.