The new partnership will see W&O support VARD’s order book over a three-year period, providing valves and technical support to shipyards in Norway, Romania and Vietnam
Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands – 30 April 2024: W&O, the leading supplier of valves, actuation and instrumentation to the global maritime industry, has announced a three-year supply agreement with Norway-based designer and ship builder, VARD Group. Under the agreement, W&O will provide technical support to the design and engineering departments of VARD, covering all valve challenges on newly built vessels. This will include delivering valves, actuation and instrumentation packages to VARD in Norway, Romania, and Vietnam.
Vidar Hoel, Technical Project Manager for W&O, based in Alesund, Norway, will lead on technical support throughout the project. With more than 20 years of marine valve experience, Vidar will coordinate a W&O project team of specialists based in Netherlands, Romania and Singapore. W&O’s international network of offices and warehouses will support VARD with a trusted service that makes the supply chain of valves easy, quick and efficient.
As part of the agreement, VARD will be able to utilise W&O’s industry leading data management and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging systems. W&O creates an easily accessible history for each critical valve installed on a vessel. W&O’s application of digital technology in combination with the technical expertise of W&O will support VARD’s continued efforts to deliver state of the art vessels for their customers.
Kristof Adam, Managing Director, W&O Europe, commented: "VARD is well known in the industry for its progressive vessel designs and for embracing innovations. The combination of W&O’s digital valve and certification management, our international network of warehouses and valve technical experts, means we are ideally placed to support VARD across their new build vessels over the next years."
VARD Group, said: "Our new partnership with W&O will mean VARD and our customers are supported by a knowledgeable, technical valve supplier across our shipyards in Norway, Romania and Vietnam."
Vard Brattvåg. Photo credit: Kristin Stoylen
Vard Søviknes. Photo credit: Tone Molnes