Norwegian ship builder Kleven has secured a new contract for a high specification, 116-metre long Expedition Support Vessel. The order is placed by Mr Graeme Hart, who currently has another vessel of the same type under construction at Kleven Verft.
This new vessel is almost ten metres longer than the vessel currently under construction at the yard, and is of type MT 5006 MKII ESV, designed by Norwegian ship design company Marin Teknikk in cooperation with Naval Architect Kyle Dick of New Zealand based Oscar Mike Naval Architects. The vessel is specially designed for long expeditions in rough waters, and blends a robust, hard-working character with luxurious added extras.
“Drawing on our extensive experience in building complex offshore vessels, this new vessel type designed and built for Mr Hart serves as a great example of how close cooperation within the Norwegian maritime cluster brings the industry forward and into new markets,” said Ståle Rasmussen, CEO of Kleven.
Mr Hart, being an experienced yacht owner, has been to the yard a number of times and has followed the building process in Norway closely.
“I am very pleased with the quality of the work that has been done by Kleven, and how our organisations have worked together to bring this exciting project to life. I am very much looking forward to seeing both vessels being finalised,” Mr Hart said.
The vessel will accommodate 66 people, and will include deliveries from a number of Norwegian suppliers like Rolls-Royce, Hareid Group, Jets and Sperre.
The vessel will be built at Kleven Verft in Ulsteinvik, Norway, and is scheduled for delivery in July 2016. The first vessel is to be delivered in June 2015.