Norwegian ship designer and shipbuilder VARD has launched the hybrid power cable lay and construction vessel it is building for the Japanese company Toyo Construction at its shipyard in Romania.

VARD held the keel laying ceremony in September 2024 for the vessel, while this March the aft part of NB 980 arrived from Braila, Romania, to Tulcea to be joined with the forward parts of the hull. Finalization works will be carried out in Norway.

According to the company, the vessel has 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.

VARD said this was the first time it was building a vessel at two hull yards.

Vard Electro is delivering SeaQ equipment and solutions, with Vard Interiors delivering modern interior solutions and green HVAC R system. Huisman is supplying a full electric 250mt hybrid boom subsea crane and a 100mt knuckle boom crane.

The self-propelled cable-laying vessel will be powered by five main gensets and two batteries and will have a carrying capacity of 9,000 tons. It will have a maximum transit speed of 13 knots and will comprise 90 single cabins for 90 persons on board.

Completion is expected by Q2 2026.

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞?

𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝟓𝟎% 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬!