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Topaz in $300m order for 15 module carriers at Vard

Topaz Energy and Marine inked a $300m order for 15 module carrier vessels at shipbuilder Vard.

Marcus Hand, Editor

May 12, 2016

1 Min Read
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The vessels are to be built to the Vard 9 21 design, which was developed for shallow river operation. The construction of the vessel will be split between three yards with five being built at Vard Bralia, and four Vard Tulcea – both in Romania – the other six at Vard Vung Tau in Vietnam.

The vessels costing close to $300m in total according to Vard are due to be delivered between third quarter 2017 and second quarter 2018.

“Vard’s longstanding shipbuilding traditions, cutting-edge innovation and technology perfectly complement Topaz’s reputation for providing quality and bespoke services to meet our client’s needs,” said René Kofod-Olsen, ceo of Topaz.

The vessels will be operated by Topaz through a consortium led by Blue Water Shipping for the end-client Tengizchevroil to transport modules through the Russian waterways to oilfields in Kazakhstan. The contract for the vessels from Q2 2018 is worth over $350m and for a minimum of three years. The 123 m by 16.5 m vessels are designed to carry high deck loads of up to 1,800 tons.

The deal brings Topaz's order backlog to $1.6bn

“Vard has long history of projects for the Caspian region, with seven vessels specifically developed for shallow-water operations delivered since 2010,” commented Roy Reite, ceo and executive director of Vard.

“Topaz currently operates three vessels built by Vard in the Caspian, and has two light construction vessels for international operations on order from Vard.”

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About the Author

Marcus Hand

Editor

Marcus Hand is the editor of Seatrade Maritime News and a dedicated maritime journalist with over two decades of experience covering the shipping industry in Asia.

Marcus is also an experienced industry commentator and has chaired many conferences and round tables. Before joining Seatrade at the beginning of 2010, Marcus worked for the shipping industry journal Lloyd's List for a decade and before that the Singapore Business Times covering shipping and aviation.

In November 2022, Marcus was announced as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Singapore Journal of Maritime Talent and Technology (SJMTT) to help bring together thought leadership around the key areas of talent and technology.

Marcus is the founder of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast that delivers commentary, opinions and conversations on shipping's most important topics.

Conferences & Webinars

Marcus Hand regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

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