Vestdavit A/S - Experts & Thought Leaders
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Vestdavit has achieved a new sales record for the third successive year as its order intake hit an all-time high of Nkr380m in 2024, fuelled by increased davit orders from its core naval market, as well as the offshore energy sector. New sales record "It has been another fantastic year," says Vestdavit’s Sales and Business Development Director - Tarjei Isaksen. Tarjei Isaksen adds, "The significant orders boost was achieved despite a transition in our Sales & Marketing department that saw us start the year with an almost entirely new sales team, which hit the ground running to deliver impressive growth through quickly developing good customer relations." Naval and offshore market The naval market accounted for about 80% of orders in terms of value, with the remainder coming mainly from offshore The company’s davit sales grew by around 17% versus 2024, while the volume of orders also rose to 108-plus units, an increase of more than 50% from 70 in 2023. The naval market accounted for about 80% of orders in terms of value, with the remainder coming mainly from offshore energy - both oil & gas and wind. High-value davit contracts Furthermore, the leading Norwegian supplier of boat-handling systems also racked up some of its biggest-ever orders in terms of value with contracts in the range of Nkr40-60m. These include frame agreements for multiple davits with the Canadian Coast Guard and French Navy, as well as significant orders with the US, German, and Italian navies, and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Increasing sales momentum in our main markets has led to exponential growth in recent years to underpin the expansion of our fabrication facility in Poland that enables faster turnaround on orders to boost productivity and meet growing demand," explains Tarjei Isaksen. Expansion in capacity The Bergen-based supplier has recently expanded the Vestdavit Production plant with a new assembly hall to increase manufacturing capacity by 60-70%, which will facilitate delivery of around 100 davits annually and allow construction of larger units. Tarjei Isaksen says Davit sales growth is mainly being driven by increasing newbuild investments by Nato navies around the world to strengthen their fleets amid escalating geopolitical tensions. He states, "This has led to rolling orders for long-term newbuilding programmes," with the US Navy a major customer. Tailored to military requirements Vestdavit has established a strong reputation as a specialist supplier of bespoke boat handling systems Based on a market study, the company is now looking to expand further into the Asia-Pacific naval market where it sees 'huge potential', as well as in Latin America, according to Isaksen. Vestdavit has established a strong reputation as a specialist supplier of bespoke boat-handling systems to most Nato navies based on its 50-year track record of delivering robust and reliable davits designed for efficient launch-and-recovery operations in variable sea states for mission-critical operations. Lightweight, compact, and resilient Its high-specification davits are installed on both naval and coastguard ships ranging from aircraft carriers to offshore patrol vessels to deploy various craft for military, law enforcement, and other tasks, with a reference list that includes the US, British, Italian, and Australian navies, to name a few. These are designed to meet the special requirements of military vessels for boat-handling systems that are lightweight, compact, and resilient, with a high level of redundancy so they can remain operational under challenging conditions. Offshore wind in sales Vestdavit has seen increasing deliveries to the offshore wind segment due to demand for heavy-duty davits Innovative technological features - such as active heave compensation, anti-pendulation mechanisms, and flexible hook distance - also enable enhanced boat-handling capabilities and increased adaptability. On the commercial side, Vestdavit has seen increasing deliveries to the offshore wind segment due to demand for heavy-duty davits to handle large workboats used for the deployment of turbine maintenance crews, mainly on construction service operation vessels (CSOVs). Green energy transition Isaksen expects this trend to continue given the pace of wind farm development worldwide to drive the transition to green energy, with annual installations forecast to increase to 66 GW by 2033 from 10.8 GW in 2023 despite recent investment challenges, such as inflation, high interest rates and supply chain constraints that have stalled some projects, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. Against this market backdrop, Isaksen is confident that Vestdavit can exceed the Nkr400m mark to achieve a new sales record in 2025, with further high-value Davit orders on the horizon.
Advanced boat-handling systems supplied by Vestdavit have been installed on the newbuild CSOV Olympic Notos delivered for Olympic by Norway’s Ulstein Verft, which is raising the bar in terms of sustainability and operational efficiency for such vessels employed in the offshore energy sector. MOB and lifeboat davit “We are honoured to have been selected by Ulstein for participation in this ground-breaking newbuild project based on our well-established track record of reliable davit deliveries for the offshore wind and oil & gas markets, with systems designed for optimal performance to maximise the operational window of support vessels working in this space,” says Vestdavit Managing Director - Rolf Andreas Wigand. The renowned Norwegian supplier provided a total package of five davits for the vessel, including two H-9001 davits - one dedicated lifeboat davit and the other a combination of MOB (man overboard) and lifeboat davit. Additionally, it supplied two L-3500 liferaft davits and a dedicated PL-3600 MOB davit. Tailored for operational needs Davits were manufactured and tested at Vestdavit’s state-of-the-art show facility in Redziokowo The davits were manufactured and tested at Vestdavit’s state-of-the-art production facility in Redziokowo, Poland, with components sourced from its network of trusted European suppliers. Each davit has been tailored to meet the specific operational needs of the vessel and delivered in full compliance with the latest standards and regulations, ensuring an efficient installation process at the Norwegian shipyard to facilitate a smooth-running delivery on schedule. TWIN X-STERN® solution The Olympic Notos, together with the previously delivered sistership Olympic Boreas, are the first CSOVs designed with Ulstein’s pioneering TWIN X-STERN® solution with four main propellers located fore and aft. This allows precise dynamic positioning with minimal use of thruster power to achieve a reduction in fuel consumption of close to 50% versus other operational vessels, resulting in a significant cut in emissions. The innovative CSOV concept, developed by Ulstein and Olympic to set a new standard for such vessels, incorporates a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system - allied with variable speed, battery storage and smart energy management - and a unique dual-stern hull shape. The result is a significantly lower environmental footprint, enhanced operability, and reduced fuel and maintenance costs. Compact solution The PL-3600 is a versatile davit that can be adapted for various types of boats and equipment According to Ulstein, the main reason for the selection of Vestdavit was that its davit solution was the only one compact enough to fit on the Olympic Notos. The H-9001 supplied for the Olympic Notos is a cutting-edge davit system engineered with adaptability for lifeboats and rescue boats of different sizes, providing multi-functional capability to support diverse marine operations. The precision-designed L-3500 is a highly specialised and robust system for efficient launch of liferafts even in harsh marine environments, while the PL-3600 is a versatile davit that can be adapted for various types of boats and equipment, including rescue boats and workboats. Sophisticated davit features Vestdavit has been able to meet strict client requirements for safety and flexibility of such systems through its offering of high-specification davits capable of reliable launch-and-recovery of a wide range of craft in variable sea states, demonstrated through decades of efficient operations worldwide across the naval, coastguard and offshore sectors. Its systems have sophisticated features such as anti-pendulation and failsafe constant tension for enhanced safety and stability, as well as Programmable Logic Control for automated operations. This is based on many years of innovative product development in collaboration with clients that has enabled Vestdavit to provide a high level of customisation to deliver tailor-made davit solutions.
Vestdavit is boosting sales of its in-demand lightweight aluminium davits to the naval segment with a further order for four PLAR-6501 systems to be delivered to a pair of Evolved Cape-class patrol vessels under construction at shipbuilder - Austal Australia for the Royal Australian Navy. The latest contract brings the number of PLAR davits supplied to the Cape and Evolved Cape-class vessels for the Royal Australian Navy to a total of 20. Boat launch-and-recovery systems “The operational efficiency of modern naval vessels is dependent on high-performance boat launch-and-recovery systems for mission-critical tasks,” says Vestdavit Managing Director, Rolf Andreas Wigand. He adds, “The fact that our well-proven PLAR davit has again been selected by Austal for the Royal Australian Navy speaks to the robustness and reliability of systems that we have previously delivered, further reinforcing our expertise in meeting the specific requirements of the naval segment. We are grateful to Antelope, our agent in Australia, for having secured the initial davit contracts.” Enhanced PLAR system It is an enhancement of the PLAR-6500 system, designed according to the DNV-0498 standard This PLAR-6501 model will be provided for hulls 819 and 820. It is an enhancement of the PLAR-6500 system, designed according to the DNV-0498 standard that includes fatigue analysis. The lightweight and compact design of these high-grade aluminium davits, with a weight saving of 30% versus conventional steel systems, is an important factor in reducing the weight of onboard equipment, thus providing enhanced stability and allowing increased payload. Speed responsiveness Keeping upper deck weight to a minimum means vessels can maintain a higher maximum speed, while it also contributes to better manoeuvrability, lower fuel consumption, greater speed responsiveness and an expansion of the operational window. The Evolved Cape-class patrol vessels are being deployed for a range of naval and law enforcement missions, playing a critical role in Australia’s national security as a high-performing, reliable and effective maritime asset. High frequency The davits will be utilised for the launch and recovery of fast rescue and interceptor craft to support such missions. Safety and reliability are key factors both to safeguard personnel and equipment, as well as ensure high frequency and a wide operational window for demanding naval activities in variable sea states. Austal is set to deliver a total of 10 Evolved Cape-class vessels to the Royal Australian Navy, which represents an evolution of the previous Cape-class patrol boat, of which 10 such units were earlier delivered by the Australian shipbuilder to the Australian Border Force (8) and Royal Australian Navy (2). Another two Cape-class patrol vessels were delivered to the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard in 2021. Ease of installation Despite its low weight and profile, this robust davit remains capable of efficient launch and recovery of boats The modular PLAR davit, with a SWL range of 850-7000kg, is delivered pre-assembled and skid-mounted, with a compact size for ease of installation in confined spaces. Despite its low weight and profile, this robust davit remains capable of efficient launch and recovery of boats in rough seas. Furthermore, lifecycle costs are reduced with the use of aluminium that also has the advantages of being non-magnetic and minimising corrosion. New naval solutions Vestdavit is a trusted supplier for most Nato navies around the world with a track record of multiple davit deliveries to major clients such as the Royal Australian Navy, US Navy and the UK’s Royal Navy. “We are constantly evolving our davit systems in collaboration with the end-user in line with our policy of continuous innovation to enhance our products using new technologies. Our offering has also expanded to include new solutions for naval and other markets, such as Mission Bay that can facilitate inboard storage and deployment of several diverse craft for multi-role operations,” says Rolf Andreas Wigand.