Vard has laid the keel of a new hybrid commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) for Taiwanese operator Dong Fang Offshore (DFO) at its Vard Vung Tau facilities in Vietnam.
The vessel is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2028. It will support wind farm operations and related construction and installation work.
The vessel is the third CSOV in DFO's series based on an existing Vard design, which the two companies developed jointly. Vard announced the order in May 2025 under an option in a contract DFO had signed the previous month for a subsea construction vessel.
The first two CSOVs in the series were contracted in May 2024.
On delivery, the vessel will begin a service contract of at least 15 years for an undisclosed wind farm customer in Taiwan.
The completed CSOV will have a length of 102.7 metres, a beam of 19.5 metres, and accommodation for up to 120 people. Its hybrid propulsion system will combine two Voith Schneider propellers with a 1,240kWh battery.
Personnel transfer will be handled by a 30-metre motion-compensated walk-to-work gangway from Seaonics. The gangway will incorporate a three-tonne crane and a personnel elevator.
The open deck of about 700 square metres will be ready for a modular spread to be installed later for power and fibre-optic cable laying and repair.
The first vessel in the series, Orient Inspirer, was delivered on September 16, two months ahead of schedule. Construction of the second vessel, Orient Innovator, began at Vard Vung Tau in September 2025.
