Vard to build Ponant's polar expedition cruise vessel for $435.2 mil

SINGAPORE (Dec 19): Shipbuilder Vard Holdings has secured a contract worth about NOK2.7 billion ($435.2 million) to design and construct a luxury polar expedition cruise vessel for Ponant, the French cruise company.

The hull will be built at Vard Tulcea in Romania, with delivery scheduled from Vard Søviknes in Norway, in 2Q21.

In a Tuesday filing, Vard says the vessel – dubbed the Ponant icebreaker – is an electric hybrid cruise icebreaker with liquid natural gas (LNG) propulsion, which is specially designed to take passengers to polar destinations such as the true geographic North Pole (90 degrees North Latitude), the Weddell Sea, the Ross Sea and Peter I Island.

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