North Star orders fourth hybrid SOV for Dogger Bank

New contract brings total number of SOVs on order at Vard for North Star to four. [Image: Vard]

Aberdeen, Scotland-based North Star Renewables has awarded Finantieri’s Norwegian based subsidiary Vard an additional contract for the design and construction of a hybrid service operation vessel (SOV).

To be built at Vard’s Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam, the Vard 4 12 design vessel will be the fourth SOV to be delivered from Vard to North Star for operation on the Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the North Sea. It is set for delivery in fourth quarter 2024.

North Star placed the order after securing a long-term charter to deliver an additional hybrid vessel to support the third phase of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

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.

“Securing the final SOV contract required for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm development for at least the next decade is fantastic news,” says North Star CEO Matthew Gordon. “Together with Vard, we have designed a sustainable renewables fleet that elevates SOVs into a new era of comfort, safety, reliability, and workability. The technology onboard includes low fuel consumption, digital decision support technology, advanced propulsion systems, hybrid power management and a waste heat recovery system. Coupled with the well-planned recreation and accommodation areas, they will provide a superior home-from-home living space for the offshore wind technicians working offshore.”

SOV DESIGN

The new SOV will be 78 meters in length with a beam of 19 meters and have accommodations for 60 persons in single cabins.

The Vard 4 12 design has been developed by Vard Design in Ålesund, Norway, with a strong focus on the vessel’s environmental footprint and operability, to include a hybrid battery solution and prepare for carbon-neutral operations. Another key design element has been to ensure efficient logistics. The vessel will 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.

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