Norway’s Norwind Offshore has added two more offshore wind farm newbuildings to its orderbook as it continues a push into the sector.
The start-up has declared options for the commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs) at Fincantieri’s Vard, bringing the series to four ships.
The deal also sees Norwind add another two options, for a potential fleet of six new ships.
Norwind had already contracted Vard to convert a platform supply vessel (PSV) for wind farm work.
The original CSOV order was placed in October last year.
The design is based on a highly versatile platform for sustainable offshore wind farm support operations, focusing on on-board logistics, security, comfort, and superior operability, Vard said.
The 85-metre ships will have accommodation for 87 people and will be prepared for the installation of battery solutions.
The third CSOV will be built in Braila, Romania, and equipped and delivered in Brattvaag, Norway, in the first quarter of 2024.
The fourth will be built in Vung Tau, Vietnam, with a handover scheduled for the second quarter of 2025.
TradeWinds reported in October last year that Norwind was formed by Norway’s Farstad and Volstad families.
Bill was already $162m
The first two CSOVs and the conversion of the PSV into a service operation vessel (SOV) will cost NOK 1.4bn ($162m).
Vard will start deliveries in 2023.
The PSV to be converted is one of Vard’s own ships that has been operating in Asia and Australia. The vessel will be ready in the second quarter of 2022.
Long offshore history
Norwind’s chief executive is Svein Leon Aure, who worked for Farstad Shipping and its successor Sverre Farstad & Co, which is owned by Sverre Andreas Farstad.
Farstad Shipping was merged into Solstad Offshore in 2017. Sverre Andreas Farstad then set up his new company in 2019 with a bareboat-chartered PSV — the 4,100-dwt Blue King (built 2016).
Aure told TradeWinds that this ship has been redelivered and the Farstad family is now focusing on Norwind.
He said a third investor — the Kleven family of Alesund — is also involved. However, this is not the Kleven family that participates in shipbuilding.
The Volstad family is represented by Eivind Volstad, who used to control Volstad Shipping. This company sold its last offshore vessels in 2015 and a fishing trawler in January 2021, Aure said.
A different branch of the family runs shipowner Volstad Maritime and is not involved in Norwind.
