Windward Offshore held the official naming ceremony for its third commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV), Windward Munich, at Hamburg’s Überseebrücke on 22 September 2026.
The vessel was delivered by VARD in July 2026 after construction at its Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam. It is the third of four VARD 4 19-design CSOVs built for the German offshore wind vessel operator.
Held during WindEnergy Hamburg, the ceremony brought together representatives from the offshore wind and maritime sectors. Hamburg’s Minister for Economy, Labour and Innovation, Dr. Melanie Leonhard, and RWE Offshore Wind CEO Sven Utermöhlen addressed the gathering.
Claudia Haindl served as the vessel’s godmother and performed the christening. Approximately 200 guests attended a reception on board, while additional vessel tours were arranged for customers, investors and suppliers.
Windward Munich measures 87.5 m in length and 19.5 m in beam, with accommodation for up to 120 people. The vessel is equipped with a helideck, making it the first of two vessels in the four-ship series to feature helicopter landing facilities.
Its offshore working equipment includes a height-adjustable motion-compensated gangway with an integrated elevator, an electrically driven motion-compensated crane and an adjustable boat landing system.
The vessel has a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion arrangement incorporating four methanol-ready engines and a VARD battery pack. The system is designed to support future operation on green methanol.
The CSOV is designed to accommodate offshore personnel and support maintenance, commissioning and offshore wind farm construction activities through its personnel transfer and lifting equipment.
Windward Munich follows Windward Athens and Windward Paris, the first two vessels delivered under the programme. Both earlier vessels had entered charter operations by the time the third vessel arrived in Hamburg.
Windward Offshore had previously announced that Windward Munich was scheduled to begin its first charter following the naming ceremony.
The company announced the delivery of the fourth vessel, Windward Hamburg, on 4 September 2026, completing its four-vessel newbuilding programme.
Like Windward Munich, the final vessel was built at Vard Vung Tau and is equipped with a helideck. All four CSOVs are based on the VARD 4 19 design and were developed to support offshore wind projects during construction, commissioning and long-term operations.
