Vard Builds Third Offshore Wind Service Operation Vessel in Vietnam for Dong Fang Offshore

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 5, Norwegian shipbuilder Vard held a keel-laying and coin ceremony at its Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam for the third commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) being built for Dong Fang Offshore (DFO) of China's Taiwan region. The vessel, with yard number NB 998, is based on the VARD 4 39 design and measures approximately 102.7 meters in length and 19.5 meters in beam. Delivery is scheduled for the first quarter of 2028, after which it will serve an offshore wind service contract of at least 15 years.

NB 998 is the third CSOV in the same series ordered by Dong Fang Offshore from Vard. The two parties signed construction contracts for the first two vessels in May 2024 and exercised an option to add the third vessel in May 2025. The first vessel, Orient Inspirer (NB 987), was delivered approximately two months ahead of schedule on September 16, 2026, while the second vessel, Orient Innovator (NB 989), entered the construction phase at the Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam in September 2025.

The new vessel features a hybrid propulsion system equipped with two Voith Schneider propellers and a 1,240 kWh battery energy storage system. The vessel can accommodate up to 120 persons in 90 cabins and is fitted with specialized operational facilities for personnel transfer, equipment maintenance and offshore construction at offshore wind farms. The hybrid system will work with the vessel's power management system to coordinate energy dispatch and support various operational conditions during offshore wind O&M activities.

The personnel transfer system employs a 30-meter motion-compensated gangway supplied by Seaonics, integrated with a 3-tonne crane and a personnel lift. The vessel will also be equipped with all-electric lifting equipment, and its approximately 700-square-meter open working deck reserves space for the installation of modular power cable and fiber-optic cable laying and repair equipment, allowing different operational modules to be configured according to specific offshore construction tasks.

According to the construction plan, NB 998 will complete hull construction, outfitting and commissioning at Vard's Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam, with delivery expected in the first quarter of 2028. Dong Fang Offshore has secured a long-term service contract of at least 15 years for the vessel, which upon delivery will be deployed on offshore wind projects in China's Taiwan region, undertaking wind facility commissioning, O&M support and related offshore engineering services.