North Star has officially named its first commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV), the Grampian Kestrel.
The vessel was named at a ceremony at VARD’s shipyard in Vard Langsten in Norway on May 6.
The Grampian Kestrel is the first of two CSOVs to be delivered this year, as part of the firm’s drive to support its growing portfolio of offshore wind clients with cutting-edge tonnage and exceptional service.
The new vessel, of VARD 4 22 design, will go on service with EnBW and precede the decade-long minimum charter contract the firm signed in 2024 to provide a SOV (of VARD 407 design) for the German energy utility firm’s He Dreiht wind farm in the North Sea.
A high specification vessel, the Grampian Kestrel has the ability to support all aspects of the wind farm’s life cycle, offering essential accommodation and logistics to support construction and commissioning works.
Following this, it will lead EnBW’s operations and maintenance activities until the newbuild SOV is delivered in the third quarter 2026.
The VARD 4 22 design has been developed in close collaboration with Vard Design, with new methanol ready hybrid-propulsion solutions and an increased number of single cabins, providing hotel quality accommodation for the technicians working in field. It also includes a high-performance daughter craft with space for a second to suit the clients’ operational needs.
“The vessel is built to service all aspects of an offshore windfarms’ lifecycle and has a competent North Star crew to ensure we deliver our services to the highest standard.
"We are proud to christen this future-ready vessel, which sets a new industry benchmark by becoming the world’s first to achieve Lloyd’s Register’s Cyber Resilience classification. This certification underscores our commitment to being a safe and reliable partner - for our employees, our clients, and the broader offshore wind industry,” said Gitte Gard Talmo, CEO at North Star.
North Star’s offshore wind fleet now comprises eight vessels, including both delivered and in-build assets. The shipping firm has also placed 160 experienced seafarers to support its SOV fleet and will recruit a further 160 seafarers in the next three years to meet current contract charter commitments.
