Vard Marine News

This week, Seaspan Energy launched the second of its three 7600m3 liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessels, the Seaspan Lions, named after the twin peaks of the North Shore, or known as Ch'ich'iyúy Elxwíkn (“Twin Sisters” or “Two Sisters”) to the Squamish Nation.This series of vessels is named after iconic West Coast mountains and the first two vessels, the Seaspan Garibaldi ("Nch'kay") and the Seaspan Lions (Ch'ich'iyúy Elxwíkn), will be delivered in 2024 with the third…

Serco has signed on a team assembled by Vard Marine Inc. to replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) Kingston Class Maritime Coastal Defense Vessels (MCDV) under Pillar Two of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.Vard Marine, a Fincantieri company, launched VIGILANCE in 2023 to "provide the RCN with a state-of-the-art, capable, operationally flexible, and globally deployable multi-mission naval vessel" that is designed, built and equipped in Canada.Other Team Vigilance partner companies include Ontario Shipyards…

Seaspan Energy announced the launch of Seaspan Garibaldi, the first of three 7,600m3 liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessels being built by CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (CIMC SOE) in China.The newbuild is named after Mount Garibaldi, or “Nch’ḵay̓” as the Squamish Nation has known it for thousands of years. This series of vessels will be named after iconic West Coast mountains and the first two vessels will be delivered in 2024 with the third vessel arriving in 2025.The Seaspan Garibaldi will be based in the Panama region…

The much-needed replacement for the U.S. Coast Guard’s long-serving medium endurance cutters (WMEC) took a giant step closer to joining the fleet as the first Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) was launched and christened at Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) in Panama City, Fla. on October 27, 2023.The future USCGC Argus (WMSM 915) was christened by the ship’s sponsor, Captain (Ret.) Beverly Kelley, the first woman to command a U.S. military vessel, the 95-foot patrol boat, USCGC Cape Newagen (WPB 95318).

U.S. shipbuilder Philly Shipyard announced it has been awarded a contract to develop preliminary designs for vessels to replace the U.S. Navy's two current Mercy-class hospital ships.The T-AH(X) Hospital Ship Feasibility Study contract was awarded by Gibbs and Cox, a Leidos Inc. company. Philly Shipyard said it will subcontract to Vard Marine Inc. to provide engineering and technical services for the six-month design study, and that the pair would leverage design work performed as part of a special study completed for the U.S.

Vard Marine Inc. (VARD), a Fincantieri company, has launched the Vigilance Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) at the Canadian defense trade show CANSEC 2023, in conjunction with Team Vigilance partner companies Heddle Shipyards, Thales Canada, SH Defence, and Fincantieri.Collectively, Team Vigilance partner companies bring vast and impressive capabilities and experience to bear in naval ship design, Canadian and global shipbuilding, the integration of combat and offboard systems, modular payload systems, and life-cycle solutions.

Høglund Marine Solutions announced it will deliver integrated automation systems (IAS) for three newbuild liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessels being constructed at at CIMC SOE shipyard for Canadian owner Seaspan ULC.The IAS will seamlessly connect the cargo handling, control and electrical propulsion systems on each of the 7600m3 ships slated to operate along the west coast of North America.A central, and standard feature of all Høglund automation systems, is Høglund Playback.

Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) said it  has awarded approval in principle (AIP) to Vard Marine Inc., a Fincantieri company, for its Vard 7 125 Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV).The design of the 125-meter vessel is based on the Vard Series 7 OPV reference vessels and can be tailored to a broad range of military and naval missions. Enhancements include an upgraded weapons and sensors package, reduced acoustic, magnetic, and infrared signatures, along with minimized radar cross-section…

U.S. marine petroleum transportation company Centerline Logistics has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with naval architecture and marine engineering firm Vard Marine to develop a customized 6,000-cubic-meter-capacity articulated tug and barge (ATB) liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker barge.Aiming to meet the shipping industry's growing need for LNG bunkering, the Jones Act-compliant ATB barge will be designed to navigate U.S. and International waters and to provide LNG refueling to a variety of ships as well as call at terminals.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding announced Wednesday it will build a second liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker barge for PNE Marine Holdings, an affiliate of Northstar Terminals subsidiary Polaris New Energy. The new 5,500 cubic meter (CBM) capacity barge will be a sister to Clean Canaveral, which is scheduled to be delivered to Polaris in mid-November.The maritime sector is seeing growing demand for economical supply of LNG fueling, with more than 400 new vessels utilizing the cleaner…

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Vard Marine has informed that Kristin Jovel, its Corporate Business Manager, has been appointed the position of Vice President Business Operations for its North American offices.Jovel joined the Houston office in 2010 after serving as a Director of a top-tier service management company. "Over the past 11 years, she has successfully led various strategic development initiatives aligned to the company’s business operations and corporate governance.

ABS has granted Approval in Principle (AIP) to VARD Marine for its 115-meter offshore patrol vessel (NGOPV) design.The VARD 7 115 NGOPV caters to a range of mission requirements, including air, surface, and sub-surface surveillance and engagement capabilities. The vessel arrangement offers a multi-mission bay and a set-down area for containerized mission payloads, with a configuration that can be tailored to meet a variety of mission objectives, ABS said.The vessel, which is to be unveiled at the Defence and Security Equipment International Show in London…

SeaspanLNG said it has secured an approval in principle (AIP) with Bureau Veritas for the design of a 7,600 cubic meter capacity liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker vessel.The LNG bunker vessel has been designed for ship-to-ship LNG transfer as well as well as coastal/short sea shipping operations by Seaspan Ferries’ partner Vard Marine Inc. Seaspan Ferries’ class of dual fuel hybrid electric ferries were developed by Vard in 2014 and included a new method of bunkering the vessels.

As the traditional offshore oil and gas markets continue to struggle, the renewable offshore wind market is hot and getting hotter.As the cumulative maritime, offshore, port and logistics marketplace gears up for offshore wind energy on a huge scale, World Energy Reports (WER), in its report “2021 The Year When Offshore Wind Takes Off in the United States,” shows the anticipated growth trajectory. Service Operations Vessels (SOVs), which can commission and/or maintain turbines…

The U.S. is going to need a fleet of Jones Act-compliant vessels to support its budding offshore wind industry. The good news is that several of these vessels are currently operating or on order. Even better, there are plenty more in the pipeline.In 2016, Rhode Island-based Atlantic Wind Transfers (AWT) put into service the U.S.’ first-ever vessel purpose-built for offshore wind services. The 21-meter crew transfer vessel (CTV) Atlantic Pioneer was constructed by Blount Boats to serve America’s first commercial offshore wind project…

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Vard Marine announced Derek Buxton, current vice president business development, has taken on the additional duties as vice president for the company's regional office in Ottawa effective immediately, following Andrew Kendrick’s retirement from the company.Kendrick started the position as president of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) on January 1, 2021 and continues to work for Vard Marine as a principal consultant.Kendrick’s career in the defense and security industry spanned 45 years…

Canadian operator Seaspan Ferries Corporation said it will be the first to trial Corvus Energy’s new Blue Whale ESS, featuring a unique rack-free design of stacking modular blocks to provide higher volumetric battery room energy density and, consequently, maximized passenger or payload capacity.The new large-scale energy storage system (ESS)—a battery system designed for large ships with high zero-emission energy demand, such as cruise ships, large Ro-Pax and Ro-Ro ferries and cargo ships—will be installed on board Seaspan Reliant…

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Vard Marine said it has secured a contract from Chilean state-owned ASMAR Shipbuilding & Ship Repair Company to design an Amphibious and Military Transport Vessel for the Chilean Navy.The new ships, to be constructed at the ASMAR shipyard in Talcahuano, Chile, will be capable of operating throughout the Pacific and Southern Ocean with services to include logistic support, search and rescue (SAR) missions, troop and asset movement and deployment, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations.Based on existing Vard Series 7 desig

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Vard Marine Inc. announced Thursday that Wade Carson will succeed Dave McMillan as president and CEO upon McMillan's retirement on May 31.Carson has been with Vard for 18 years. For the past six years he has led the business’s strategic direction as VP Business Development and most recently was on assignment as interim Managing Director of affiliate company Vard Electro Canada.Following his 30-year tenure with Vard Marine, McMillan will pursue another chapter in the marine industry as a marketing/business development consultant.Vard Marine…

Italian based international shipbuilding group Fincantieri said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian shipbuilder Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) to jointly target opportunities in the Indian defense market.With this agreement, Fincantieri said it enhances its presence in India, providing further momentum to the long-standing partnership with the governmental group CSL, which owns facilities both on the East and West coast of India.Fincantieri also noted it has been following the renewal and expansion program of the Indian Navy’s fleet for some time…

Vard Marine (VARD) is doubling down on the U.S. offshore wind sector, having recently secured ABS Approval in Principle (AIP) for a second Jones Act service operation vessel (SOV) design.The AIP awarded in June 2020 is for a customized version of the VARD 4 19 US SOV and follows an AIP for the VARD 4 07 US SOV granted in December 2019 -- the first AIP awarded for a Jones Act SOV.The latest, larger SOV variant is designed for functions including accommodation, transferring technicians to installations as well as storing spare parts and tools for operations in U.S.

Throughout the world, offshore wind is on a growth trajectory. With green energy mandates from states in New England and the mid-Atlantic, the U.S. is joining the fray. Consultants Wood MacKenzie, in its U.S. Offshore Wind Outlook 2020-2029, suggested that as much as 25 gigawatts (GW) of capacity could be deployed in the U.S. by 2030 (though estimates range from 14 GW to as much as 34 GW), accounting for a hefty portion of incremental capacity coming online.Shipyards in New England have already seen the tip of the offshore wind iceberg…

Beca Applied Technologies Ltd, with the support of specialist naval architecture company Vard Marine Inc, have been appointed by the New Zealand Ministry of Defense as the Technical Support Partner to the Southern Ocean Patrol Vessel (SOPV) project. Beca and Vard Marine will join the Ministry’s Integrated Project Team providing systems engineering, concept design and technical logistics input for the early stages of the project as the capability is defined and specified.The SOPV project is exploring options for an ice-strengthened offshore patrol vessel for Southern Ocean operations will be navigating the large distance between New Zealand and Antarctica…