Belgium-based marine contractor Jan De Nul Group has placed an order at China Merchants Heavy Industry (Haimen) for an extra-large cable-laying vessel (CLV) that will have a cable-carrying capacity of 28,000 tonnes, positioning it as the largest of its kind in the global market.
Inside details show the vessel will feature three cable carousels (two on deck, one below deck) and a large hold for fibre-optic cables, enabling the simultaneous laying of up to four cables. It is designed to operate in ultra-deep waters down to 3,000 metres and to manage cable tensions up to 150 tonnes.
On the environmental front, the vessel will incorporate Ultra-Low Emission vessel (ULEv) technology with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, reducing nanoparticle emissions by up to 99 %. It will also be equipped for hybrid power, including a 2.5 MWh battery and compatibility with bio-fuel and green methanol.
Jan De Nul commented that the investment underlines its commitment to the renewable-energy transition and to supplying cutting-edge assets for the inter-connector and offshore export-cable markets.
