Van Oord Cable-layer Launched by Damen

Van Oord’s new DP2 cable-laying vessel, Nexus, was officially launched at Damen Shipyards Galati on June 30.

The 123 m multipurpose vessel will be deployed installing electricity cables for offshore wind farms. The international contractor for dredging, marine engineering and offshore energy projects has made the investment in this vessel to pursue its strategy to offer Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts to offshore wind farm developers.

With a beam of 28 m and a dynamic positioning system (DP2), the Van Oord vessel will be equipped with a cable carouse able to carry more than 5,000 metric tons of cable, and a crane that will enable it to lay heavy export cables. The vessel has accommodation for 90 people.

The new Van Oord cable layer is based on the Damen Offshore Carrier 7500, a new multipurpose vessel design with a spacious, flush working deck, which the builder said is suited for Heavy Lift or RoRo transport, as well as offshore installation capabilities. Offshore installation equipment can be mounted on the vessel and the design can be customized to create a dedicated ship, as is the case with the Van Oord cable layer.

Van Oord CEO Pieter van Oord said the investment in the Damen cable laying vessel highlights the company’s drive to continuously serve new and existing markets by investing in state-of-the-art technology and marine ingenuity.


Currently, Van Oord is making preparations for the 600MW Gemini Offshore Wind Farm, which will be one of the largest offshore wind projects in the world. Van Oord was awarded the EPC contract, which is valued at more than €1.3 billion.

At 55 kilometers to the north of Schiermonnikoog, one of the Dutch Wadden Islands, Gemini will consist of 150 4MW Siemens wind turbines, which will supply renewable energy to 785,000 households. The new cable-laying vessel will be deployed at this site amongst others.

damen.com