VARD’s cable-laying vessel NKT Eleonora, newbuilding NB 969, has arrived at Vard Brattvaag in Norway after its journey from Vard Shipyards Romania in Tulcea.
The vessel has entered the next stage of construction, with final outfitting and commissioning to be carried out at Brattvaag. According to VARD, delivery is scheduled for Q1/Q2 2027.
VARD secured the contract from NKT HV Cables AB in December 2023, with a contract value of EUR 200-250 million. Salt Ship Design developed the vessel design. The original construction plan called for the hull to be built at Vard Tulcea in Romania before outfitting and delivery from a VARD yard in Norway.
The vessel was later named NKT Eleonora. According to NKT, it has three turntables providing a total cable-carrying capacity of 23,000 tonnes and is capable of laying three power cables. The vessel also features DP III dynamic positioning and an enclosed cable-handling deck.
NKT Eleonora has a dual-fuel configuration designed to allow operation on methanol. NKT lists Wärtsilä 32 Methanol Engines among the vessel’s equipment. ABB is supplying the Onboard DC Grid power system and aft Azipod electrical propulsion, while NOV REMACUT is responsible for the cable-laying system, cranes and mission equipment.
Construction started with steel cutting at the Romanian shipyard on 5 November 2024, followed by the keel-laying ceremony on 15 January 2025.
The vessel is also planned for offshore installation work on NKT’s power cable connection between Bornholm Energy Island and Zealand in Denmark. The project for Energinet Eltransmission A/S includes an approximately 200 km cable-route, 525 kV offshore HVDC power cable system. According to NKT, offshore installation is planned to be carried out by NKT Eleonora.
With the vessel now at Brattvaag, construction will continue through final outfitting and commissioning ahead of the Q1/Q2 2027 delivery schedule announced by VARD.
