Kongsberg’s Propulsion System for Norwind’s Two Commissioning Service Operations Vessels

Kongsberg Maritime will deliver propulsion systems for two Commissioning Service Operations Vessels (CSOVs) to be built by Vard for Norwind Offshore, a ship-owning company established last year in Norway.

The propulsion technology for each of the CSOVs will include new permanent magnet (PM) PMAZ 2600PM azimuth thrusters, PM tunnel thrusters, and a retractable azimuth thruster.

According to Kongsberg, the PM thrusters experience reduced wear and tear and consequently deliver substantial savings in lifecycle cost, as they have only one rotating component in the underwater unit, low oil volume and no requirement for lubrication pumps or inboard cooling systems.

They also benefit from significant reductions in energy consumption, emissions and oil spill risk when compared with conventional azimuth thrusters, and are designed to meet stringent noise and vibration requirements, both on board the vessel and regarding emissions to sea (URN), the company said.

The two newbuildings are of VARD 4 19 design, developed by Vard Design in Ålesund, and are tailor-made for world-wide services and maintenance operations at offshore wind farms, Vard said when it signed a shipbuilding agreement with Norwind in October last year.

The first vessel will be delivered from Vard in Norway in the second quarter of 2023, with the hull to be built at Vard Braila in Romania. The second vessel will be built and delivered by Vard Vung Tau in Vietnam, scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2024.

The VARD 4 19s are 85-metre vessels with a beam of 19.5 metres and will be equipped with a height-adjustable motion-compensated gangway with an elevator system, a height-adjustable boat landing system, and will be prepared for battery solutions.

The CSOVs will have accommodation for 87 persons on board, with an option to increase to 120 persons.

Under the agreement with Vard, Norwind Offshore will also convert one Platform Supply Vessel of VARD 1 08 design into a Service Operation Vessel (SOV) and has options for two additional CSOVs.