Green Yard Kleven unveils 100-m KLEVEN KY100 Polar Class expedition yacht

Green Yard Kleven has unveiled the KLEVEN KY100, a 100-metre Polar Class expedition yacht that signals the Norwegian yard’s move into producing and owning its own yacht designs, MarineLink reported on 18 September 2026.

The announcement, made through MarineLink, identifies the KLEVEN KY100 as a new class of vessel developed by Green Yard Kleven in cooperation with Opalinski Design House and HAV Design. The yard described the project as a clear step towards expanding its portfolio from contract shipbuilding to proprietary yacht concepts.

The size and Polar Class designation place the KY100 within the growing niche for large, capable exploration yachts able to operate in polar and remote regions. Those characteristics underline Green Yard Kleven’s intent to position itself in a specialist market that values robustness and long-range capability.

Design partners Opalinski Design House and HAV Design are named as collaborators on the yacht, with the partnership presented as central to the KY100’s development. The involvement of two established design houses reflects an approach that combines naval architecture with contemporary yacht styling and expedition functionality.

Industry observers will be watching whether Green Yard Kleven’s move to own and market its own designs alters its relationship with traditional naval and offshore customers. Owning a design line represents a different commercial model from pure contract construction and may require new marketing, support and sales capabilities.

Strategy and market position

Green Yard Kleven’s announcement frames the KY100 as more than a single newbuild; the yard has characterised it as part of a strategic shift. By developing a proprietary design, the company seeks to capture value at the design and intellectual-property end of the build cycle as well as in construction.

A project of this type can change how a yard competes, potentially allowing it to present a ready-made product to owners and brokers rather than beginning every project from bespoke specification. How that strategy plays out will depend on market appetite for larger expedition yachts and the yard’s ability to support design iterations and aftersales.

Collaboration and capability

The collaboration with Opalinski Design House and HAV Design indicates Green Yard Kleven is assembling external design expertise alongside its own engineering capability. That model is common in the yacht sector where styling and interior architecture are often sourced from specialist studios while yards supply naval architecture and engineering.

This cooperative approach may also help the yard to accelerate time to market for the KY100 and to offer potential clients a more integrated package of design and build services. For Green Yard Kleven, the project marks a notable broadening of its remit from building for third parties to developing a branded design platform.

MarineLink’s report provides the core details of the unveiling and the partners involved. Beyond those specifics, Green Yard Kleven’s announcement raises wider questions about how traditional shipyards adapt to shifts in demand within the superyacht and expedition segments. The yard’s next steps, including any further technical disclosures, marketing plans or formal launch milestones, will determine whether the KY100 becomes the first of a series or remains a single exemplar of the new strategy.

For now, the KLEVEN KY100 stands as a public statement from a Norwegian builder that it intends to compete in the upper reaches of the expedition yacht market, leveraging external design partners and its own construction experience. The industry will be looking for further technical information and for confirmation of any orders that would underpin the yard’s strategic intent.