Brunvoll contracted for extensive propulsion system

Two azimuth propulsion thrusters, two tunnel thrusters and a retractable azimuth thruster will be delivered with Brunvoll’s Propulsion and Thruster Control System, called the BruCon PTC.

The system will be installed on an Offshore Subsea Construction Vessel for the Taiwanese ship owner Dong Fang Offshore (DFO), which has a fleet of 18 vessels, including anchor handling tugs, service operation vessels, cable layers, crew transfer vessels and construction vessels.

The company is quite new, having been founded in 2019 to support the offshore wind, energy and telecoms sector.

Family-owned Brunvoll says it is growing strongly, now almost 115 years old, and with 600 staff in Molde, Volda, Ålesund, Porsgrunn, and Dalen.

In September 2024, it joined forces with Torghatten Nord to build a 73.3m hybrid car ferry for Norway that is scheduled for delivery in 2026. It will operate on electric propulsion only over shorter distances and in hybrid mode over longer routes, the partners said. 

Brunvoll’s contract with VARD also provides an option for an additional vessel.

“We expect excellent service, strong performance, and long-term reliability from their thrusters throughout the operational life of our new OSCV,” said Polin Chen, CEO of Dong Fang Offshore. “At the same time, we hope this will be the first of many Brunvoll thrusters installed across our future fleet.”

The vessel is of VARD 3 39 design and will have an LOA of 121 metres, beam of 23 metres, 1.200 m² work deck, and the capacity to house a crew of 130 persons in 90 cabins. The vessel is scheduled to be delivered in the second quarter of 2027.