Ulstein Verft in Norway has launched Yard no. 322 , the first of two commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs) the company is building for investors advised by J.P. Morgan.
In July 2023, Bernhard Schulte Offshore ordered the design and construction of two CSOVs from Ulstein under a contract that included options for two + two vessels. In 2024, these options were transferred to institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management, which declared the first two.
A keel-laying ceremony for the first CSOV was held in August 2024 in Poland, where the hulls were assembled at the Crist yard, before they were towed to Ulstein Verft.
The first hull arrived at the Norwegian yard in August 2025 , and the hull for yard number 323, the second CSOV, arrived at Ulstein Verft on 6 December 2025.
On 2 January 2026, the first CSOV was towed out from the dock hall to the outer dock. The yard’s heavy-lift department mounted the tower on the newbuild using its crawler crane with a lifting capacity of up to 600 tonnes. On 7 January, the vessel was towed further out to sea and moored alongside the quay, Ulstein said on 8 January.
The second CSOV is also taking shape, with the hull 323 now towed into the dock hall for further outfitting.
The CSOVs, measuring 89.6 metres in length with a beam of 19.2 metres, are of the ULSTEIN SX222 design and will utilise the company’s TWIN X-STERN design, featuring two sterns and main propellers located at both fore and aft.
The vessels are powered by a hybrid battery and are green methanol-ready.
The CSOVs will be equipped with a motion-compensated gangway, a lift tower, a 3D crane, and optimised logistics, and will support operations and maintenance (O&M) and construction work at offshore wind farms.