North Star places 2+2 CSOV order with Vard

The 95m-long CSOVs will be of Vard 4 22 design, a particular design that Vard has developed for North Star. The hull design has been optimised for low fuel consumption and to minimise hydrodynamic resistance. 

The new CSOVs will also be equipped with technology from Vard Electro’s flexible SeaQ portfolio, covering solutions for power, control, bridge and navigation, and communication. The SeaQ package constitutes a great advantage and by utilising battery technology for hybrid operations, the SeaQ delivery facilitates for even smarter, and more energy-efficient operations for reduced emissions and fuel consumption.

These ships add to a series of orders that North Star has already contracted with Vard. In 2021, the shipping company ordered four new SOV constructions that Vard will build in Vietnam and that will support the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank, through long-term rentals to third-party companies. The first three ships will start operations this year, earlier than planned, while the last unit will be delivered in 2024.

Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri, commented: “This order once again reaffirms the contribution to the energy transition of the Fincantieri Group’s high-tech shipbuilding. We are further establishing ourselves as a fleet development partner of one of the main operators in the renewable energy sector, with six ships ordered by North Star in two years: we will build two units that stand out from a technological point of view, as they will be able to operate with methanol, one of the most promising low-carbon fuels, creating the new paradigm of sustainable propulsion systems”.