Delivery took place at Vard Langsten in Norway on 26 June 2026. This was the first vessel the Japanese construction company has ordered from Vard, and the first Vard has delivered to the Japanese windfarm market.

The vessel was outfitted, commissioned and delivered by Vard Langsten, the hull having been built at Vard Shipyards in Tulcea, Romania.

The newbuild is Japan’s largest purpose-built cable-lay vessel and is of Vard 9 15 design, a design developed especially for the client to cater for the requirements of the growing Japanese offshore wind market. It will also be able to operate worldwide.

When the vessel was ordered in late 2023, Vard said the vessel would have an optimised hull design to suit conditions offshore Japan, allowing it to be used in shallow water and deep water for floating offshore wind and power transmission projects.

The vessel is prepared for inter-array, HVAC export and interconnector cable installation and for cable burial and construction work. With a length of 150 m and a beam of 28 m it will have a cable carrying capacity of 9,000 tonnes.

In addition to being used as a self-propelled cable-laying vessel, the newbuild is fitted with a crane and has a large deck area, making it suitable for applications such as work on foundations, moorings for floating wind and marine-related projects. It will have a four-point mooring system and helideck.

To minimise the new vessel’s environmental footprint it has a large battery pack, a connection for shore power and an advanced energy management system that will help to reduce CO2, NOx, and SOx emissions.