2023 has kick-started with the first Armada ship arriving in Norway – to VARD Søviknes – after its maiden voyage which begun on 19th of November in Vietnam.
The first of eight highly advanced, 78-meter vessels will be the first of their kind, enabling Ocean Infinity to perform tech-enabled lean-crewed operations for a safer and greener maritime future. They represent a giant leap forward for the maritime industry.
In partnership with Ocean Infinity, VARD has designed a unique, multi-purpose platform that will allow for onshore remote-controlled, lean-crewed and eventually uncrewed operations.
The ships will be made ready for future environmentally responsible fuels and renewable energy sources.
On delivery, they will accommodate a lean crew and use hybrid solutions that are designed to evolve through various stages of future fuels implementation to ensure they remain at the forefront of low-emission performance to minimize environmental impact of operations.
VARD Electro is equipping the ships with advanced marine electronics for remote operations from its SeaQ product range, while VARD Accommodation is providing the efficient accommodation solution.
Additionally, VARD’s daughter company, Seaonics, is delivering modular launch and recovery systems for moonpool that can be adapted to various marine operations in support of Ocean Infinity’s growing work in offshore renewables.
Ocean Infinity has taken the delivery of the first ship, which is expected to go into service on offshore data acquisition tasks in the coming months following its final installation work. This milestone marks the beginning of a new phase for Ocean Infinity, which has been pioneering the use of robotics to collect subsea data at scale with minimal environmental impact since 2016.
Take a look at some of the photos of the Armada 7801 arrival in Norway: