EoW May 2010

technology news

Nexans’ Skagerrak before the conversion ▲ ▲

Upgrade for cable vessel

Nexans has extended the subsea cable laying capabilities of the C/S Nexans Skagerrak, one of the world’s most advanced cable ships, following the successful completion of a major conversion and upgrading project at the Cammell Laird Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders Limited dockyard in Birkenhead, England. The €8,000,000 two-month contract has increased the C/S Nexans Skagerrak’s capability to carry out even larger scale power cable and umbilical installation projects, extended her service life and given her greater autonomy while at sea. The major element in the project has been the insertion of a new 12.5m prefabricated hull section that has increased the ship’s overall length to 112.25m. An additional accommodation module has also been installed, taking the total number of single cabins on board to 60, together with a new work deck, complete with cable-handling equipment, that has increased the on-deck storage capacity to around 2,000m 2 (from 900m 2 ). The upgrade has increased the ship’s deadweight from 7,886 tonnes to 9,373 tonnes. The C/S Nexans Skagerrak was the first purpose-built ship specifically for the transport and installation of submarine high-voltage power cables and umbilicals. To date, there are only two vessels of this kind in the world. It features a 29m diameter turntable with 7,000 tonne capacity, a computer-based laying control system and a state-of-the-art dynamic positioning system, and can also deploy Nexans’ specialist Capjet ROV trenching systems for cable burial operations.

Nexans – France Fax : +33 15669 8484 Email : nexans.web@nexans.com Website : www.nexans.com

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EuroWire – May 2010