Vietnam shipyard to build vessel for Britain’s North Star

The Vard Vung Tau shipyard in southern Vietnam has held a steel cutting ceremony to start work on a service operation vessel (SOV) - a means of transport that can serve as a hotel, warehouse, workshop, or temporary home.

This will be the fourth SOV to be delivered by Norwegian shipbuilder Vard to North Star for operation on the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm in the UK's North Sea.

The leading British infrastructure support company placed an order for four SOVs with Vard in 2021, all of which will support the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank, on long-term charters, according to a May 18 report by SWZ Maritime, a maritime industry magazine headquartered in the Netherlands.

The first three SOVs will commence operations this year, ahead of schedule, with the final one to be delivered in 2024, the publication said, without giving a specific date for the launch of the first three.

The total price for the orders is not known. Vard Vung Tau shipyard, located in Vung Tau town of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, first cut steel for the fourth SOV on Monday.

SWZ Maritime said Vard designed its VARD 4 22 design, in close collaboration with Vard Design in Alesund, Norway, especially for North Star. They feature the latest hull design optimized for low fuel consumption and resistance, as well as high operability and comfort. In addition, the ships will be equipped with new methanol-ready hybrid-propulsion solutions and an increased number of single cabins, providing hotel-quality accommodation for technicians working in the field.

The fourth SOV will be 78 meters long with a beam of 19 meters and be able to accommodate 60 persons in single cabins, Offshore Engineer, a global magazine on offshore energy and technology, said on Tuesday.

The hybrid vessel will be equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion system, highly efficient main propellers, and tunnel thrusters with permanent magnetic electric motors in combination with SeaQ solutions supplied by Vard Electro in Norway. SeaQ is a modern maritime automation system.

According to the Vard Vung Tau shipyard’s website, it is a fully integrated facility capable of undertaking the entire process of shipbuilding from hull construction to final outfitting works. The shipyard is well-equipped to handle complex project management that measures up to the same international standards as more established yards in Europe.

It was established as a green-field yard in 2006, started manufacturing operations in 2008, and was officially launched in 2010.

The beach town of Vung Tau is about two hours’ drive southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s economic powerhouse. It is part of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, dubbed the country’s oil and gas hub.

Not far from Vung Tau is HCMC’s Nha Be District, home to the Piriou Vietnam shipyard, owned and operated by Piriou, a French leader in shipbuilding and ship repairs for medium-size vessels. Piriou Vietnam is finishing the cargo sailing ship Grain de Sail II for French cargo company Grain de Sail. It will be the company’s second carbon-free cargo sailing vessel.