SMST has been awarded a contract by Norwegian shipbuilder VARD for the supply of two sets of mission equipment for North Star’s newbuild Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs). The agreement also has an option for equipping two additional ships with the offshore systems of SMST, that guarantee safe transfer for technicians working in the field and ensure efficient handling of cargo on board, according to the company's release.
SMST is delivering a gangway (Telescopic Access Bridge L-Series) combined with tower and elevator, and Motion Compensated Crane (M-Series) to each CSOV for the UK firm, which operates the largest UK-owned SOV fleet in the North Sea. The SMST equipment underlines the Vard 4 22 design that has been optimized for low fuel consumption, maximum uptime, and good seakeeping characteristics to ensure comfortable conditions on board.
North Star’s new CSOVs takes the firm another step closer in its ambition of adding 40 SOVs to its fleet by 2040 to support the growing UK and European offshore wind sectors.