Vard, the Norwegian shipbuilding subsidiary of Italy’s Fincantieri Group, has signed a contract worth more than €220m (US$250m) to design and build two multi-function buoy and lighthouse maintenance vessels for Trinity House, the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar.
The contract, awarded following a public tender, forms part of Trinity House’s program to renew its three-vessel fleet. The new ships will replace THV Patricia and THV Galatea, supporting the organization’s marine aids-to-navigation services and maintenance of maritime infrastructure in UK waters.
The vessels will be built to the Vard 9 601 design, developed jointly by Vard Marine in Canada and Vard Design in Norway. They are intended as multi-role platforms combining buoy tending, hydrographic survey work and emergency response capabilities.
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and managing director of Fincantieri, said, “The award of this contract represents an important recognition of Vard’s expertise and of Fincantieri’s industrial and technological leadership in complex shipbuilding. Supporting organizations such as Trinity House means contributing to the safety, reliability and resilience of maritime services through solutions that combine sustainability, innovation and long-term vision.”
The vessels will use hybrid propulsion and battery energy storage systems designed to cut fuel consumption and enable zero-emission operation alongside delivering more efficient performance during transit and dynamic positioning. They will also be built with the potential for future conversion to methanol fuel.
The ships will incorporate digital and cybersecurity systems intended to support secure operation of onboard technology. The contract additionally includes a training partnership between Vard, Trinity House and Vard Marine in Canada, covering apprentice and student programs aimed at maritime skills development.
The vessels will be built across Vard’s international supply chain, with delivery scheduled from one of Vard’s Norwegian yards in the second and fourth quarters of 2029.
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