Norwegian company Farstad Shipping has, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries in Aberdeen, Norway and Singapore struck a deal with STX OSV to build four platform supply vessels.
The order is worth around $225million but will climb to around $375million if options for three further ships are exercised.
The new-builds are part of Farstad’s ongoing fleet renewal programme. Delivery of the units is scheduled for 2012 and 2013.
The vessels ordered are of two different designs. Three will be of STX PSV 08 CD design, of which two will be built at STX yard in Vietnam and one at STX yard in Tomrefjord (Langsten), Norway.
The PSV 08 CD is a newly-developed, medium-sized, diesel electric PSV with a deck area of about 800 sq m.
The fourth vessel is to be a large PSV with a deck area of around 1,000sq metres. It is to be to the novel UT 754 WP “wavepiercer” design.
This is a new PSV concept developed in close co-operation between Rolls Royce Marine and Farstad. The bow design is “visually striking”.
The objective is to provide similar advantages to the now-familiar bulbous X-bow from Ulstein, but by taking a different approach, Rolls-Royce claims it offers certain benefits to shipowners.
The major plus point, according to the company, is that it will enable the vessel to pierce through waves in extreme weather conditions, while maintaining constant speed, reducing fuel consumption and enhancing safety. Wavepiercer technology is extensively used for commercial multihulls such as catamaran ferries.
Delivery and build of what in fact will be the first of this new class will be managed by the STX yard in Tomrefjord.