Lloyd’s Register has awarded VARD approval in principle (AiP) for the methanol fueling system for two commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs).
The VARD 422 design vessels are under construction for North Sea wind farm operations support provider North Star. With the AiP in place, these will be among the first vessels prepared for conversion to green fuels in the offshore wind sector, VARD claimed, featuring new methanol-ready hybrid-propulsion solutions.
Since North Star awarded the contract in May 2023, the two companies have been working with Lloyd's Register to gain approval for methanol as a fuel.
The AiP process involved two levels of risk analysis and adjustment of the design to enable future use of methanol as a fuel. Both vessels are said to be prepared for the conversion and can therefore transition to running on methanol in line with the engine manufacturers’ scheduled release of the conversion equipment.
Other features are a hull design said to be optimized for low fuel consumption and resistance, and a daughter craft in each case, with space for a second craft to suit clients’ needs.
The CSOVs will be about 95 m long with a beam of 19.5 m, with a stepless walk-to-work system that can be deployed from 17-32 m above the sea surface.
