VARD, the Norwegian subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group, is gearing up to design and construct a state-of-the-art Energy Construction Vessel (ECV) for Wind Energy Construction AS, a Norwegian company partly owned by Norwind Offshore AS founders.
The new ECV will be based on the VARD 3 11 design, custom-built for the offshore wind and subsea sectors. The vessel is designed for inspection, maintenance and repair of pipes, and construction and installation of infrastructure above and below sea level.
The new unit will also feature a length of 111.5 meters and a beam of 22.4 meters, and be able to accommodate 120 people on board.
This vessel will be VARD’s first to include a permanently installed Electric Controlled Motion Compensated (ECMC) gangway with integrated 3D-compensated crane capabilities. It will also be fitted with a 150-ton motion-compensated offshore crane to support the expanding renewables sector.
This is the sixth vessel the owners of Norwind Offshore have contracted with VARD, with the five previous vessels being Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOV). With the new contract, the parties have also agreed on an option for one further vessel.
Scheduled for delivery in Q2 2027, the ECV will be built, outfitted, commissioned, and delivered from the Vard Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam.
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, commented; “This new order further confirms our technological and industrial leadership in the offshore wind sector, which is growing strongly and offers solid prospects. Fincantieri is playing a leading role, also thanks to the success of our innovative solutions. We will keep focusing on innovation and energy transition as key pillars of our commitment, as per Industrial Plan.”
