wiredInUSA January 2018

The new ship currently being built. Photograph courtesy of Vard

Cable ship with the future in mind

Japan’s Kokusai Cable Ship is adding a new Vard-designed cable-laying vessel to its fleet. The vessel, currently being built at Colombo Dockyard in Sri Lanka, will be capable of carrying out cable installations for offshore wind projects in Asia and is expected to be delivered in 2019. According to Vard, Kokusai Cable Ship’s new vessel will be custom-designed for installation and repair of subsea telecom cables and, in addition, will be prepared for the expanding power cable installation market with a high capacity below-deck cable carousel. On 14 th November, UK-based MAATS Tech confirmed it had signed a contract with Colombo Dockyard to design and install

a 2,000t carousel on the vessel. MAATS said it worked closely with Vard, Colombo Dockyard and the client during the design phase to achieve the required capability based on the future projected subsea power cable market in Asia. The vessel will feature diesel electric propulsion, DP2 positioning and large cable tanks combined with the 2,000t capacity carousel. The total cable-carrying capacity is 5,000t. Outfitting also includes a dual- cable lay system, A-frame, hydro plough and trenching ROV. The new cable layer will be in accordance with ClassNK and Japanese flag regulations, as well as all relevant international safety and environmental standards.

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wiredInUSA - January 2018