Kim Aakervik, CTO of AQS, and Kai-Egil Skarsvåg, Managing Director of Skarsvåg Boats, shake hands in front of the boat that is already in the shipyard.
Photo: Skarsvåg Boats / AQS.
Norwegian companies AQS AS, one of the country's largest aquaculture services companies, and Skarsvåg Boats AS, a builder of customized boats, announced the signing of a contract for the construction of a new ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicles) and diving vessel of the type Skarsvaag 1800.
Construction of the vessel—the third of the Skarsvaag 1800 model to be put into production—has already begun, and its delivery is scheduled for April 2027.
"That we are now starting construction of our third Skarsvaag 1800 confirms that the concept meets customer needs well," said Kai-Egil Skarsvåg, Managing Director of Skarsvåg Boats. "We greatly appreciate the trust from AQS and look forward to close and constructive cooperation during the construction period," he added.
According to the joint press release from both companies, the vessel is specified to meet AQS requirements for quality, operational reliability and functionality in maritime diving and ROV operations. It is being built with a focus on robust solutions, high build quality and good working conditions for the crew.
"The Skarsvaag 1800 is well suited to our needs in terms of quality, operational reliability, and functionality," commented, for his part, Kim Aakervik, CTO of AQS. "For AQS, this is an important project, and we are closely following the construction process throughout the entire build period."
This new boat will join the 17 service vessels already in AQS's fleet. The company, which employs 160 people along the Norwegian coast, is undertaking an expansion and long-term renewal of its fleet, as announced when the European infrastructure fund Marguerite acquired a 50% stake in the company in March of last year.
The announcement of this new contract follows the one made by AQS a few days ago, when it was revealed that the Norwegian aquaculture company AQS had signed an agreement with Salthammer Båtbyggeri, Norway's oldest shipyard, for the construction of four new, state-of-the-art workboats.
Designed by Tomra Engineering AS, these vessels are part of a series of six diesel-electric hybrid workboats that will support AQS's strategy of a gradual transition to a more sustainable fleet. In fact, just a few days after the contract was announced, we also learned that Salthammer had just delivered the first vessel in the series, while another sister workboat is currently under construction at the shipyard.
