Vard, Norwegian subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group, has signed a contract for the design and construction of a highly customized state-of-the-art hybrid power cable-laying and construction vessel with the leading Japanese company, Toyo Construction. The value of the contract is more than 200 million US dollars.
The hybrid power cable-laying and construction vessel will have 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. It will be able to carry out construction work at a high rate of operation in a wide range of ocean areas.
The vessel is 150m long and a beam of 28m with cable carrying capacity of 9000 tons. It will be equipped with a high-performance crane and a large deck area, making it suitable for multi-purpose applications such as 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 is developed with the latest 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 hull will be built at Vard Shipyards and it will be delivered in Q2 2026.
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, said: “This new order confirms our reference role in the offshore energy sector, which represents a sector in continuous growth in line with the expectations of the business plan. In this context, Fincantieri is able to offer increasingly innovative solutions through Vard, which with this contract expands its customer base also in the East thanks to the international leadership achieved in cable-laying vessels”.
Toyo Construction was founded in 1929 and has a top-class track record in offshore construction in Japan. The offshore wind power business is a growth driver for the company. Moreover, in addition to laying submarine cables, the company is developing technologies for bottom fixed foundations and floating mooring systems, aiming to contribute to the development of the offshore wind power business in Japan. Toyo Construction employs approximately 1,600 people on a consolidated basis and has sales of just under 200 billion yen.
