VARD Banks €220M Vessel Construction Contract
VARD, the Norwegian shipbuilding subsidiary of Italy's Fincantieri Group, won a contract valued at more than €220 million to design and build two next-generation buoy and lighthouse maintenance vessels for Trinity House, the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar.
The award, made through a competitive public tender, is part of Trinity House's fleet renewal program and will replace the THV Patricia and THV Galatea, enhancing the organization's ability to maintain the UK's aids-to-navigation network and other critical maritime infrastructure.
The vessels will be built to VARD's new VARD 9 601 design, developed by Vard Marine in Canada in collaboration with Vard Design in Norway. Designed as highly versatile multi-mission platforms, the ships will support buoy maintenance, hydrographic survey work and emergency response operations.
The newbuilds will feature hybrid propulsion systems paired with battery energy storage, enabling zero-emission operations while alongside and reducing fuel consumption during transit and dynamic positioning operations. They will also be designed with future conversion to methanol fuel in mind, providing a pathway toward further emissions reductions over their service lives.
Beyond their environmental credentials, the vessels will incorporate advanced digital technologies and cybersecurity systems aimed at improving operational reliability and resilience.
"This contract is an important recognition of VARD's expertise and Fincantieri's industrial and technological leadership in the construction of complex vessels," said Fincantieri CEO Pierroberto Folgiero, adding that the program reflects the group's commitment to advancing sustainability, digitalization and the resilience of critical maritime infrastructure.
The contract also includes a training partnership between VARD, Trinity House and Vard Marine Canada to support apprenticeships and workforce development through international knowledge exchange.
Construction will leverage VARD's integrated global production network, with deliveries scheduled from a Norwegian VARD shipyard in the second and fourth quarters of 2029.
