Cable Laying Equipment News

NOV reports its Italian group Remacut has secured the cable-lay equipment contract for Nexans' new cable-lay vessel (CLV).Nexans Marine Operations and Norwegian shipbuilder Ulstein Verft entered into a contract in September for the construction of a large DP3 cable-laying vessel, which will be an updated version of the Nexans Aurora vessel, delivered in 2021. The vessel is an ST-297 CLV design by Norway-based Skipsteknisk.Remacut's integrated cable-lay systems feature automated line control equipment capable of performing synchronized bundled-lay operations.

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.

Norwegian offshore shipbuilder Ulstein, constructing the Nexans Aurora cable layer for Nexans, has this week said that the installation of Maats cable laying equipment on the vessel has begun.Per Ulstein, Maats’ & Marine Fabricators’ installation team arrived on site on October 14, to begin the installation, which kicked off with the two lay wheels being fitted at the stern. The wheels, in combination with fairings, assist in guiding the cable in a controlled manner as it enters and exits the vessel."Following the lay wheels…

Construction of Taiwan's Formosa 2, an offshore wind power (OWP) development project, officially broke ground in Miaoli County.Orsted Taiwan said in a statement that it held a ground-breaking ceremony for the onshore substation works for the 900MW Greater Changhua 1&2a offshore wind farm off Taiwan.Ørsted awarded an onshore substation EPC contract to TCC last November. TCC will build two onshore substations, cable corridors, and transition joint bays for the first 900MW Greater Changhua projects. The contract, with an amount over NTD 7bn, is being now executed by Star Energy Corporation (SEC), a 100% subsidiary of TCC.SEC has hired more than 60 additional employees since last year.

The recently named cable laying vessel Leonardo Da Vinci, set to join the fleet of energy and telecom cable systems company Prysmian Group in the second quarter of 2021, incorporates innovative features that required the new battery power class notation to be developed by classification society RINA.The new vessel is being built by Vard, a Fincantieri company, at one of its shipyards in Norway, with the hull being fabricated at Vard Tulcea in Romania. RINA has carried out a full…

In 2014, Pronomar equipped Van Oord’s offshore cable laying vessel Nexus with three drying cabinets, each responsible for the drying of eight sets of workwear. Nexus, a 126-meter Damen Offshore Carrier (DOC) 8500 cable laying vessel was delivered to Van Oord in December and is currently being finalized at Damen Shiprepair at Vlissingen, where Van Oord is building and installing the additional cable laying equipment. According to Pronomar, the building crew has already made good use of its dryers…

Damen delivered a new DOC 8500 cable laying vessel, Nexus, to international offshore contractor Van Oord on December 22. The 126-metre vessel is intended for the installation of electricity cables for offshore wind farms. Van Oord is currently making preparations for the Gemini offshore wind farm which will be constructed 55 kilometers to the north of Schiermonnikoog, one of the Dutch Wadden Islands, and the cable-laying vessel will be deployed initially at that site. Despite encountering some challenges during the build process…

Havyard Ship Technology has been contracted to convert the offshore construction vessel (OCV) 'Havila Phoenix' for underwater cable laying and trenching operations. Havila Phoenix is a Havyard 858 design, delivered from Havyard’s shipyard in Leirvik as a construction vessel in 2009. Since then the vessel has had different charterers and executed several different operations in connection with subsea oil production installations. For a new charter, the vessel needs to be lengthened with 17,4 m to accommodate the new equipment, and close to 700 tons of new steel will be installed.

Last December, Ulstein Verft AS won the contract to convert shipowner Solstad’s cable-laying vessel Normand Clipper into a pipe-laying and offshore construction vessel. The conversion work is as extensive as the building of a new platform supply vessel. Rebuilding will be finished by the end of May, at which time the vessel will go straight to work in the English sector. “The conversion is extensive, and the work involved for Ulstein can be compared to that required for the construction of a new platform supply vessel. The entire work process is to be finished within the course of five months. Preparatory work began in December 2004, when the rigging and cable-laying equipment was brought ashore. Bunkers still inside the vessel were removed, and the tanks drained of gas.

Aker Yards has entered into contracts with Solstad Offshore ASA for building of one Platform Supply/ ROV Vessel of Aker PSV/ROV 06 CD design and one Offshore Subsea Construction and Maintenance Vessel of Aker OSCV 06 L design. Delivery of the PSV/ROV 06 CD is scheduled to second/third quarter 2010, the OSCV 06 L is scheduled for delivery first quarter 2011. The PSV/ROV 06 CD is a platform supply vessel with a hangar for ROV (remote operated vehicle), and with a dynamic positioning system according to DP II class. The vessel will further be equipped with a 100 tons offshore crane and with helicopter platform. The propulsion system is diesel electric.

Torch Offshore LLC is a Gretna, La-based integrated offshore contractor whose niche market is the installation of small diameter flow lines and related infrastructure on the Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). In 2002, the company had revenues of $68 million, laying 227 miles of pipe. Torch Offshore operates a fleet of nine vessels that lay the pipe and/or support this activity. The company is in the process of converting two large vessels that will give the company the ability to compete in the deepwater segment pf the market. "The company's strategy for the future is highly focused on the deepwater arenas of the world," said Lyle G. Stockstill, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Torch Offshore.