VARD wins wind farm vessel contracts

The SOVs were developed by VARD in close cooperation with Aberdeen-based North Star, which has secured 10-year charter contracts for the trio from Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the North Sea. One vessel will be of the VARD 4 19 design and the other two of its VARD 4 12 design. They will be built at VARD’s Vard Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam.

Thomas Brathaug, concept designer at VARD Design, said: “The VARD 4 19 design has been developed specifically to handle planned maintenance on the Dogger Bank A and B wind arrays. It is tailored for operations in the harsh North Sea environment more than 130 kilometres off the north-east coast of England. Crew well-being is vital to ensure safe and efficient operations, so safety and comfort have been a strong focus throughout the process.”

Stian Ona, also a concept designer, said another crucial design driver was sustainability. “The vessel’s environmental footprint and operability, hybrid battery solution and prepared for carbon-neutral operations in the future really pushes the envelope for this kind of specialized vessel,” he said.

Logistics efficiency

Another key design element was to ensure efficient logistics. “All the vessels have a height-adjustable, motion-compensated gangway with elevator system, a height-adjustable boat transfer system, as well as a 3D-compensated crane for cargo transfer,” Brathaug said.

The 85m VARD 4 19 vessel has a beam of 19m. Developed to perform corrective maintenance on Dogger Bank, the other VARD 4 12 pair will be 78m in length with a beam of 19m and accommodation for 60 persons in single cabins.

For optimal efficiency, the hybrid vessels will be equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion system, highly efficient main propellers, and tunnel thrusters with permanent magnet electric motors in combination with SeaQ solutions supplied by Vard Electro in Norway.

The three SOVs are set for handover to North Star in 2023.

North Star’s charters include options for three one-year extensions. Dogger Bank is currently under construction by joint-venture partners SSE Renewables, Equinor and Eni and when completed will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm.