A joint venture between SBM Offshore and Solstad Offshore has entered into a letter of intent to build a multi-purpose deepwater installation and construction vessel. The vessel is designed for operations in both shallow and deepwater environments, with a target delivery date of the first half of 2029.
The vessel will be owned by a joint venture between SBM Offshore and Solstad Offshore, with Solstad Shipping acting as ship manager. When not required for SBM Offshore projects, the vessel may be chartered to third parties.
The design was developed jointly by SBM Offshore, Solstad Offshore, and Salt Ship Design, drawing on operational experience from the Normand Installer, which the two companies have jointly owned and operated since 2006.
The joint venture has signed an initial 14-year charter agreement with SBM Offshore, securing minimum utilization of 270 days per year. This will provide a stable revenue stream for Solstad Offshore.
The vessel will be equipped for subsea construction and installation work in water depths of up to 4,000 meters, making it suitable for a range of ocean infrastructure projects.
Key specifications include a length of 132.6 meters, a beam of 32 meters, accommodation for 100 people, deadweight of approximately 11,200 tonnes, installed power of 26,900 kW, and minimum bollard pull of 300 tonnes.
The vessel will feature installation equipment such as a 400-tonne main crane, a 350-tonne A-frame, an under-deck carousel with capacity exceeding 2,000 tonnes, a 500-tonne winch system, and two work-class remotely operated vehicles.
This project represents an important strategic step for Solstad Offshore, further developing a partnership that has evolved over more than two decades. The vessel will support SBM Offshore's full lifecycle EPCIO offering by integrating additional offshore installation work scopes.
The new vessel will support the integration of additional offshore installation work scopes and improve project delivery reliability.
