Windward Offshore has exercised its option for the design and construction for two additional hybrid commissioning service operation vessels (CSOV) from Vard.
Windward Offshore, a consortium led by ASSC's offshore arm SeaRenergy Group in Germany, announced its initial order for two CSOVs from Vard in October 2023. Other founding partners behind the venture include Blue Star Group, Diana Shipping Inc. and SeraVerse.
"Windward Offshore is pleased to announce the execution of the options for two further VARD 4 19 CSOVs, expanding our initial two vessel order to four vessels, and continuing our trusted relationship with VARD. All of our vessels are designed to be equipped with the latest eco-friendly technologies with the goal of minimizing environmental impact and offering the highest safety standards to ensure safe and sustainable offshore operations," said Benjamin Vordemfelde – Managing Director Windward Offshore.
For two vessels, the hulls will be built in one of VARD’s shipyards in Romania, while the final outfitting, commissioning and delivery will be carried out by one of VARD’s shipyards in Norway, the other two will be delivered from VARD’s shipyard in Vietnam.
The first two hybrid CSOVs will be delivered in Q3 2025 and Q1 2026, the other two vessels for Windward Offshore are scheduled for delivery in Q2 and Q3 2026.
All four vessels are designed by Vard Design in Ålesund, Norway. The designer describes its VARD 4 19 design as a highly flexible all-round platform for offshore windfarm support operations, focusing on onboard logistics, security, comfort, and superior operability. Each ship will have accommodation for 120 persons on board.
The 87.5-meter vessels have a beam of 19.5 meters and will be equipped with a height-adjustable motion-compensated gangway with elevator system, and a height-adjustable boat landing system. To achieve energy-efficient and smart operations at sea, with the goal of reducing fuel consumption, the vessels will be outfitted with a comprehensive SeaQ package from Vard Electro that includes systems and solutions for Power, Control, Bridge, and Communication. Vard Interiors is delivering HVAC-R and interior concepts. The battery hybrid vessels are also prepared for operation on green methanol.