VARD announced that it has signed a contract for the design and construction of a highly customized state-of-the-art hybrid power cable lay and construction vessel for the leading Japanese construction company Toyo Construction Co.Ltd. The value of the contract is more than 200 million US dollars.
Toyo Construction is a Japanese general construction company that operates civil and architecture construction businesses both domestically and internationally, and is particularly good at offshore construction, owning a variety of working vessels and constructing a wide range of projects such as container terminals, marine airports.
The hybrid power cable lay, and construction vessel will be of VARD 9 15 design, a design especially developed for the need of the customer to cater for the growing Japanese offshore windfarm market, as well as to operate worldwide. It will have an optimal hull design to suit the natural and construction conditions in Japan, allowing it to be used in both shallow waters and deep waters for floating offshore wind power generation and DC power transmission projects. She will be able to carry out construction work at a high rate of operation in a wide range of ocean areas.
The vessel is prepared for Inter-array, HVAC export and interconnector cable lay as well as cable burial operation and construction work.
The tailor-made vessel is 150m long and a beam of 28m with cable carrying capacity of 9000 tons. In addition to being used as a self-propelled cable-laying vessel, the vessel has a hybrid boom crane of 250T for construction work and a large deck area, making it suitable for multi-purpose applications such as ground-based foundation work, floating offshore wind mooring work, and marine resource-related projects. The vessel will also have a 4-point mooring system and helideck installed.
The vessel will be powered by five main gensets and two batteries which equiped with efficient DP system accommodating to DPS 2 requirements. It will have a maximum transit speed of 13 knots and will comprise 90 single cabins for 90 persons on board.
The vessel is developed with the latest sustainable technologies to reduce the carbon footprint during operations and port mooring. It will have a large battery pack, a shore supply connection, and a state-of-the-art energy management system. This sustainable set-up will result in higher energy efficiency reducing CO2, NOx, and SOx emissions.
The VARD’s high technology subsidiary Vard Electro is also involved in the project through deliveries of SeaQ equipment and solutions, including SeaQ Power with energy storage systems, switchboards, and shore connection.
When it comes to communication, Vard Electro is delivering the network, entertainment – and communication systems on board.
Vard Interiors will deliver modern Interior solutions and green HVAC R system aiming to create a good living and working environment onboard the vessel.
The hull will be built at Vard Shipyards Romania in Tulcea and be outfitted and delivered from one of VARD’s shipyards in Norway in Q2 2026.
