Vard is happy to announce that it has been awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) of the methanol fueling system for two Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs). The AiP is awarded by Lloyd’s Register and applies for two of the vessels designed and under construction for North Star. With this AiP, the two ships will be amongst the first prepared for conversion to green fuels in the wind market.

The CSOVs are of Vard 422 design and are tailor-made for the UK’s leading infrastructure support vessel operator, with new methanol ready hybrid-propulsion solutions.

Vard 4 22 is Vard’s first methanol ready project, and since the contract was signed between North Star and Vard in May 2023, the two companies have collaborated with Lloyds Register to gain the approval for methanol as fuel for the vessels. The approval has been through two levels of risk analysis and adjustment of the design to enable the future use of methanol as a fuel.
The ships have a high degree of preparation for the conversion and can be transitioned to methanol in line with the engine manufacturers scheduled release of the conversion kit.

TWO OF THE FIRST 
With this, the Vard 4 22 will be two of the first vessels in the wind market able to operate on green fuels.

Thomas Brathaug is Vice President in the Project Management department at Vard and has been leading the process: “This is an important step for Vard in our continuous work to lead the technological and green transition. With this approval in principle, we are assuring that we stay relevant in the market, meeting current and future needs from our customers.”

North Star Chief Technology Officer James Bradford added: “Our commitment to methanol-ready vessels is essential in future-proofing North Star's fleet for the low-carbon transition in offshore wind operations. This AiP from Lloyd’s Register validates the robust design approach we've taken alongside Vard and prepares us to adopt green fuel technologies as available, aligning with our sustainability goals and the evolving needs of the renewables market.”

Mark Darley, Chief Operations Officer at Lloyd's Register, said: “The maritime industry is making significant progress towards the widespread adoption of zero-carbon fuels. We are delighted to collaborate with North Star and Vard in advancing new technologies for emission reduction and highlighting the Norwegian maritime cluster’s expertise and ambition.

“We are committed to supporting the industry's safe and sustainable shift to zero and near-zero carbon fuels and ensuring this innovative project prioritises safety, reliability and sustainability.”

CSOVs are highly versatile platforms for all offshore windfarm support operations, focusing on onboard logistics, walk-2-work access offshore, accommodation, comfort, large storage capacities and superior operability.

 TAILOR-MADE 
North Star’s and Vard 4 22 designs have been tailor-made for market leading accessibility to enable commissioning and maintenance operations to the offshore wind industry. The ships are produced in close collaboration with Vard Design in Ålesund, Norway. They feature the latest hull design optimized for low fuel consumption and resistance, as well as high operability and comfort.

The 4 22 vessels for North Star are equipped with a high-performance daughter craft with space for a second to suit clients’ operational needs.

The CSOVs will be equipped with technology from Vard Electro’s flexible SeaQ portfolio, covering solutions for power, control, bridge and navigation, and communication. The SeaQ package constitutes a great advantage and by utilizing battery technology for hybrid operations, the SeaQ delivery facilitates for even smarter, and more energy-efficient operations for reduced emissions and fuel consumption.

CSOV technical information:

• CSOVs length of approximately 95 meters and a beam of about 19,5 meters.
•  Stepless walk to work system capable of working from 17 to 32 meters above sea
•  State-of-the-art DP2 positioning and seakeeping systems.
•  Space for two daughter crafts
• Maximum transit speed of 14 knots
• Hybrid power generation
• 95 cabins for 111 persons on Board

About North Star

• North Star is the market leading UK provider of mission critical, offshore infrastructure support services to offshore wind and offshore oil and gas markets.
• The UK firm has bases in Aberdeen, Lowestoft, Newcastle and Hamburg (Germany), employs a 1,400- strong workforce, and has been supporting the energy sector for the past four decades.
• Its offshore infrastructure support vessel fleet boasts 42 assets and provides continuous around the clock support services to more than 50 North Sea installations.
•  It has eight Service Operations Vessels (SOVs) either delivered or under construction for the offshore wind market as part of its ambition to add 40 SOVs by 2040.
• The 135-year-old business, which was originally established to support the fisheries industry, is also the country’s largest employer of offshore cadets. 
• Since 1996, it has trained hundreds of future deck and engineering trainees, investing £1million annually on average to develop the next generation.
• By combining safety, service and quality, the company delivers exceptional levels of support to its clients in one of world’s most challenging and demanding industries.

About Lloyd’s Register

• Trusted maritime advisors, partnering with clients to drive performance across the ocean economy.
• Lloyd’s Register (LR) is a global professional services group specialising in marine engineering and technology.
• Created more than 260 years ago as the world’s first marine classification society, to improve and set standards for the safety of ships.
• Today we are a leading provider of classification and compliance services to the marine and offshore industries, helping our clients design, construct and operate their assets to accepted levels of safety and environmental compliance.
• We also provide advice, support and solutions on fleet performance and optimisation, voyage optimisation, enhancing our clients’ digital capability. Our digital solutions are relied upon by more than 20,000 vessels.
• In the race to zero emissions, our research, technical expertise and industry-firsts are supporting a safe, sustainable maritime energy transition.
• Lloyd’s Register Group is wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a politically and financially independent global charity that promotes safety and education. www.lr.org

 About Vard

• Vard is one of the major global designers and shipbuilders of specialized vessels. Headquartered in Norway and with approximately 7,000 employees, Vard operates shipbuilding facilities in Norway, Romania, Brazil, and Vietnam.
• Through its specialized subsidiaries, Vard develops power and automation systems, deck handling equipment, and vessel accommodation solutions, and provides design and engineering services to the global maritime industry.
• Vard’s long shipbuilding traditions, cutting-edge innovation and technology coupled with its global operations and track record in constructing complex and highly customized vessels have earned it recognition from industry players and enabled it to build strong relationships with its customers.
• Fincantieri Oil & Gas S.p.A, a wholly owned subsidiary of FINCANTIERI S.p.A. Headquartered in Trieste, Italy, is majority shareholder of Vard with around 98 % of the shares. 
• FINCANTIERI is one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups, and a global leader in cruise ship design and reference player in all high-tech shipbuilding industry sectors.
• With over 230 years of history and more than 7,000 ships built, the Group today has a production network of 18 shipyards operating in four continents and over 20,000 employees.