Fincantieri-controlled shipbuilder Vard has secured a new contract for the design and construction of eight marine robotic vessels for Houston-based subsea and data company Ocean Infinity.

The vessels have a custom design and technology features allowing onshore remote control, light crewed or uncrewed operations, and will facilitate alternative fuels such as green ammonia.

The series of eight vessels, especially developed to serve as multi-role-vessels, will support Ocean Infinity’s operations worldwide from its control centers and expand the company’s newly launched Armada fleet.

Design and engineering are currently ongoing at Vard Design, and development of onboard control systems at Vard Electro in Ålesund, Norway, while the vessels will be built at Vard’s shipyard Vard Vung Tau in Vietnam and are scheduled for delivery in the period from mid-2022 to end-2023.

The 78m vessels will supplement the current Armada fleet of nine 21m and 36m vessels, which are already in production and expected to operational by early 2021.

A broad range of suppliers and contractors in the Norwegian Maritime Cluster are involved in the project and it creates a considerable positive spin-off effect in the region.