Cable Ships News

Japanese subsea cable laying firm Kokusai Cable Ship (KCS) and the shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) have signed an agreement to collaborate on the operation of cable-laying ships to meet the increasing demand for the installation of power cables, especially in the offshore wind sector.KCS, established in 1966, was the first company to launch a subsea cable laying ship - the KDD Maru - in 1967. The company has, over the years, been involved in the construction of some 70,000km of submarine cables, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region, and today oversees the maintenance of over 87,000km of cable.In 2019, KCS launched the KDDI Cable Infinity, Japan’s first self-propelled power and telecommunication cable-laying ship. MOL and its group company MOL Marine & Engineering Co., Ltd.

Taiwan-based offshore engineering company High Tien Offshore Engineering has said it will invest into and own the first Taiwanese large Cable Laying Vessel (CLV) to support Taiwan's growing offshore wind ambitions.The company said that the vessel is expected to be ready by the end of 2023 and will be fully operational in the offshore cable laying business in 2024, "in response to the government’s promotion of the localization development strategy in the offshore wind farm industry."High…

The market for marine services in support of the installation and maintenance of undersea telecommunications cables has matured over a period of more than 100 years to reach its present state of development. The largest providers of marine services (companies such as the Global Marine Group, SubCom, Alcatel Submarine Networks and Orange Marine) take different approaches to operations, but provide a mature and assured set of services that play a critical role in the industry. Marine services support the suppliers of undersea cable systems (delivering 50…

Greece has linked the island of Crete to the power grid of the Peloponnese peninsula via an undersea cable, a major step in the country's drive to cut its reliance on imported fossil fuel and boost renewables, the country's power grid operator IPTO said.The southern island of Crete, a popular summer holiday destination for foreigners, has relied on polluting oil-fired power plants that will need to cut production or shut down in the coming years, in line with EU climate-change…

Nexans named its new flagship CLV Nexans Aurora. Built at Ulstein Verft in Norway and designed by Skipsteknisk, the ship is designed to operate near shore in shallow waters as well as deepsea cable operations with cable laying equipment delivered from Maats Tech.“The delivery of the CLV Nexans Aurora is an important step to fulfill our purpose “Electrify the Future”; creating a safer, more sustainable, renewable and inclusive global energy system," said Ragnhild Katteland, EEVP, Subsea & Land Systems Business Group, Nexans.

Prysmian will entrust Sea World Management SAM with the management of the new high-tech flagship that will enter service in the second half of the year.Dubbed Leonardo da Vinci, the cable-laying vessel being built by the Vard shipyard in Brattvåg, Norway, for the Prysmian Group will be managed by Sea World Management of Monte Carlo, which already takes care of the management of the three other cable-laying vessels of the Prysmian Group engaged in different areas of the world.The…

French submarine cables services company Orange Marine has ordered a new cable repair vessel for delivery in 2023.The specialized newbuild was designed by VARD in Norway and will be built at Sri Lankan shipyard Colombo Dockyard. The 1,800 dwt vessel is 100 meters long with a beam of 18.8 meters and a depth of 7.15 meters. It will have accommodation facilities for 76 persons.The VARD 9 03 design for Orange Marine is designed for the maintenance of submarine cables, both fiber-optic…

French shipbuilder and marine engineering firm Piriou has designed a new cable layer vessel, to be used to lay and repair both fiber-optical and energy cables. "This vessel will be able to lay cables on wind farms as well as repair a damaged cable on the continental shelf or deep sea," Piriou said.The 100 meters long vessel has been designed and developed by the Piriou Ingenierie teams in ConcarneauFranceAccording to Piriou, the optimized hull will allow the cable layer vessel…

Norwegian shipbuilder Ulstein has shared the progress update on the construction of the next-gen cable layer the Nexans Aurora. According to Ulstein, the construction is "well underway.""During a time span of a few days in September 2020, the cable capstan has been installed, the painting process is ongoing and the thrusters are about to be installed," Ulstein said. The hull of the vessel was built in Poland and arrived in Norway in June for final outfitting."The construction of the next-generation cable-laying vessel, the 'Nexans Aurora', is well underway at Ulstein Verft.

Norway's Ulstein is set to begin the outfitting phase of the Nexans Aurora, a large, DP3, cable laying vessel (CLV) Nexans ordered from Ulstein in 2018.The Nexans Aurora hull arrived Ulstein Verft on Monday, June 15, 2020, after having been built at CRIST, Poland. The hull will now be towed into the dock hall at Ulstein Verft before activities such as outfitting, electrical work, insulation, and piping start. Ulstein Verft will also install the main components such as the main generator set…

Longitude Engineering, an LOC Group company, has said it has provided concept and basic design services, as well as construction specification for yard engagement and procurement activities, for a new DP2 cable lay ship for Woen Jinn Harbor Engineering (Woen Jinn), in Taiwan. Prior to the design, Longitude also provided an evaluation on the company’s current assets and potential conversions to meet the operational criteria, Longitude said Monday.The DP2 oceangoing vessel design…

The global player in the cable and optical fiber industry Nexans S.A. was awarded a significant Purchase Order to supply 180 km of 230 kV cables for the offshore Marjan increment development mega-project on the eastern coast of the Arabian Gulf.Discovered in 1967, the Marjan field is one of the oldest and biggest offshore oil and gas fields in the Arabian Gulf. It is currently undergoing expansion under the Marjan Increment Program announced in 2017.The French expert in cables and cabling systems said that it will supply two lengths of 90 km of 230kV HVAC three-core submarine power cables with an internal fiber optical element.Nexans is one of the very few suppliers in the world capable to manufacture…

British-headquartered specialist provider of submarine cables Global Marine Group (GMG) has been acquired by an investment affiliate of private equity firm J.F.

VLCV BV, a joint venture between VL Specials and C-Ventus Offshore Windfarm Services, has completed the installation of two ducts, including bellmouths, for the cable system of the Borssele offshore wind project in the Netherlands.Arvid de Groot, Project Manager at VLCV BV said: “Today I can proudly announce that both ducts and Bellmouths have been successfully installed. Our teams have been working hard since October on the successful installation of both ducts. The successful completion of this EPC-project illustrates the capacities of VLCV BV on complex and challenging operations”.The Borssele cable project consists of the design…

Norwegian shipyard Ulstein Verft has contracted the compatriot supplier of marine coolers for all types of vessels, Hydroniq Coolers, to deliver the seawater cooling system to the cable laying vessel (CLV) Nexans Aurora.The Pleat coolers will provide cooling of the vessel’s main engine and auxiliary systems through the use of seawater. Hydroniq Coolers has not disclosed the value of the contract.The patented Pleat is a module-based titanium cooler for seawater to freshwater, with design pressure 6 bars and design temperature of 0-95°C.“Users of the Pleat benefits from long service intervals, which is an advantage for vessels that operate offshore for long periods at a time.

Royal IHC, the supplier of equipment, vessels and services for the offshore and dredging markets, has signed a contract with China’s Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co (ZPMC) to support the installation and commissioning of the J-Lay system on ZPMC’s multipurpose vessel JSD6000 in Changxing, China.The J-Lay system was delivered by IHC in April 2019 after one of the most complex mobilization operations ever seen in the North East of England.As part of this new contract, IHC will be responsible for the design and build of the stinger, the installation and commissioning of the pipelay system, as well as its ongoing preservation and maintenance…

French player in the cable and optical fiber industry Nexans S.A. said that it has secured a 5-year contract extension with the compatriot shipbuilding giant Chantiers de l’Atlantique to supply cables and services for use in some of the world’s largest passenger vessels.The contract builds on a 45-year partnership between Nexans and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, an alliance which has facilitated the evolution of specialized ship cable technology and logistics.Throughout this partnership period, Nexans has been the leading cables provider in designing advanced fire safety technologies for secure passengers ships - one of the highest priority in shipbuilding industry.

French global player in the cable and optical fiber industry, Nexans said that it has received a contract from SSE Renewables, a renewable energy arm of Airtricity, for 1075 MW Seagreen offshore wind farm (OWF) project.Nexans will be  the preferred supplier to design, manufacture and install the onshore and offshore export cables for the Phase 1 development of the Seagreen offshore wind farm project.Currently under construction off the Angus coast, Phase 1 comprises the Seagreen Alpha and Bravo wind farms, which will form the largest windfarm project in Scotland when they come on line in 2024.Nexans will supply and install the three…

German-Dutch power grid operator TenneT has awarded the cable company NKT with a three-year service agreement contract covering the cable jointing part of a larger offshore service agreement.The contract covers the cable jointing work for seven power cable systems and includes a tailored preparedness plan designed by NKT to ensure minimum downtime in case of damages to the high-voltage power cables, which originally was manufactured by NKT.For NKT, the agreement supports the company’s strategic focus to grow its service business as the industry attention for power cable service is expected to increase in the years ahead.The global transition…

NKT, which produces cables and supplies the energy sector, has entered a Preferred Supplier Agreement (PSA) as the main contractor for delivery and installation of high-voltage DC on- and offshore export cable systems to the Doggerbank Creyke Beck A and B offshore wind farms.The project is being developed as a joint venture by Equinor (50%) and SSE (50%).Dogger Bank Wind Farms Creyke Beck A/B was notified today that it was successful in the UK allocation of Contracts for Difference (CfD), which is a key step towards a final order.Such confirmed order is now conditional upon final contract negotiations and that the project owners provide NKT a notice to proceed.

UK-based offshore technology services provider First Subsea has delivered beach landing cable protection for three export cables on the 120MW Formosa 1 Phase 2 offshore wind farm in Taiwan.According to the Lancaster-based company, the contract was awarded by  Jan De Nul Group, EPCI contractor for delivery and installation of the project’s cables and foundations.Three systems, each 250m in length were contracted in Feb 2019 and delivered on time at the end of March 2019. The protection system is designed for an export cable diameter of 158mm with a bending radius of 2.37m.First Subsea project manager, Ross Carrington, said, “The delivery…

Hellenic Cables, the provider of turnkey cable solutions for the offshore wind industry, has been awarded a contract to supply 23km of subsea cable to Ørsted, the global leader in offshore wind.The cable company, a subsidiary of Belgium giant Cenergy Holdings, said that Hellenic Cables Cablel will undertake the design, manufacture and testing of the 33kV inter–array submarine cable and will produce the cable in its integrated, submarine cables plant in Corinth, Greece delivering in early 2020. The cable is intended for use as spares within the Ørsted portfolio of offshore wind farms across the UK. "Cenergy Holdings is proud and excited…

Danish group NKT A/S said it has signed the final contract with Energinet and National Grid for the supply of a cable system for the 1,400-MW Viking Link inter-connector between Denmark and the UK.As per the contract, NKT is to supply a cable system of approx. 150 km of 525 kV MI high-voltage DC onshore power cables for Viking Link inter-connector project, connecting the Danish and British power transmission grids.NKT and the project owners have now signed the final contract documents for the project. With this step, the award of the Viking Link cable solution to NKT is confirmed.As previously announced the order represents a contract value for NKT of approx. EUR 90m (approx. DKK 670m), corresponding to approx. EUR 75m in standard metal prices (approx.