VARD Group AS (a subsidiary of Fincantieri) and North Star (U.K.’s largest shipowner‑operator) have signed a contract for the design and construction of two hybrid Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) based on the VARD 4 19 platform tailored for offshore wind farm operations, according to the company's release.
Each vessel will be 87.5 metres long with a beam of 19.5 metres and accommodate up to 120 personnel.
They will feature a battery hybrid system and be prepared for future conversion to methanol operation.
The first hull will be built at Vard Shipyards Romania and outfitted in Norway for delivery in Q4 2027, while the second vessel will be built and delivered from Vard Vung Tau, Vietnam in Q4 2028.
RWE Offshore Wind GmbH and North Star have entered into agreements under which RWE will charter two next‑generation SOVs, the Grampian Eagle and the Grampian Kestrel, both capable of using alternative low‑emission fuels, with full marine services delivered by North Star.
Grampian Eagle will be chartered for at least 12 years to support operations at the Triton Knoll offshore wind farm off the British coast; Grampian Kestrel will be chartered for at least 10 years for maintenance of RWE’s German offshore wind farms north of Heligoland.
Contracts commence in Germany this winter and in the U.K. in summer 2026, each with extension rights of up to three years.
Until the SOVs are delivered, Windward Offshore will supply two interim vessels through end‑2026.
VARD Group AS is the Norwegian ship design and shipbuilding subsidiary of Italy’s Fincantieri Group. It specialises in the design and construction of specialised offshore vessels and is headquartered in Ålesund, Norway with shipyard operations including Romania and Vietnam. VARD Design delivers fully integrated vessel systems, interiors, energy‑efficiency technologies and motion‑compensated gangways.
North Star is a U.K.‑based shipowner and operator headquartered in Aberdeen (with facilities in Newcastle, Lowestoft and Hamburg). It owns the largest wholly UK‑owned offshore wind fleet operating in the North Sea and is backed by Partners Group, which acquired the company in 2022. North Star aims to operate 40 hybrid offshore wind ships by 2040 and employs approximately 1 400 personnel both offshore and onshore.
RWE Offshore Wind GmbH is a subsidiary of RWE AG, one of the world’s leading utility companies. It operates 19 offshore wind farms across five countries (total installed capacity ~6.2 GW, RWE share ~3.3 GW), with four additional projects under construction expected online by 2026–2028 adding ~4.8 GW (RWE share ~3.1 GW).