Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has begun conducting sea trials of a new commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) ordered by German joint venture company Windward Offshore.
Windward Munich is the third in a series of hybrid CSOVs to be acquired by Windward Offshore. Windward Athens, the first vessel in the series, was handed over in late 2025 while Windward Paris, the second in the series, was delivered earlier this year.
As with her sisters, Windward Munich is classed by DNV and sails under the flag of Malta.
The CSOV was designed by Vard Design and features a new hull form that has been developed to ensure optimised seakeeping abilities as well as low fuel consumption.
The vessel has a length of 87.5 metres, a moulded beam of 19.5 metres, a draught of 5.3 metres, and a depth of 7.3 metres. An aft deck with a total area of 320 square metres will feature a height-adjustable, motion-compensated gangway with an elevator system, 3D motion-comensated cranes, and a height-adjustable boat landing system.
The hybrid diesel-electric propulsion arrangement includes four methanol-ready engines and a Vard battery pack. These drive two aft azimuthing thrusters, two forward azimuthing thrusters and a forward tunnel thruster, thus providing improved manoeuvrability.
