Prysmian Group expands cables lay fleet

By: Tom Russell 22/11/2022 Prysmian Group

Cables General Interconnectors

Prysmian Group announced an investment of approximately €200 million in a new cable-lay vessel plus adjustment for cables equipment of approximately €40 million. The new vessel will be fully operational by Q1 2025.

The new vessel will be built by the VARD Group (a subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group) and will be very similar to cable the Leonardo Da Vinci, which was delivered in 2021 by VARD.

“The development of more efficient and sustainable power grids infrastructure is key to enable the energy transition, and submarine cables are an essential component. As global leader we are fully committed to technology innovation and we are happy to partner with worldwide leaders in the construction of vessels like Fincantieri and Vard to improve also our installation capabilities,” stated Valerio Battista, CEO Prysmian Group.

Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri, said: “The complexity of such a ship fully demonstrates Fincantieri’s ability to ensure its customers technological excellence, constant innovation and commitment to sustainability. Indeed, the highly demanding context in which the vessel will operate, both in terms of environment and hi-tech requirements, will enhance the sophisticated latest generation onboard systems. We are therefore particularly pleased to serve Prysmian – once again – with a successful project in a sector such as the cabling one, while supporting energy transition, which will attract investments in the near future”.

With a similar hull to Leonardo Da Vinci, a length of approximately 170 m and a breadth of about 34 m, the new cable-laying vessel will also be equipped with a similar cable installation equipment. This includes; a first laying line with a capstan suitable for deep water installation at over 3,000 m; a second independent laying line with linear cable engines; two carousels of 7,000 and 10,000 tonnes.

The bollard pull will be in excess of 180 tonnes and the vessel will be equipped with DP3 positioning and seakeeping systems, while the maximum transit speed will exceed 16 knots.

Like Leonardo da Vinci, the new vessel will have green engines which prysmian claims will cut NOX emissions by 85%, allowing the cable-layer to comply with most international environmental requirements. In addition, the new vessel will be equipped with a battery pack for a total power of 3 MW.

“The new vessel will be definitely a game changer in strengthening our installation capabilities and supporting our leadership position in the interconnection and offshore wind farm markets, while ensuring on-time delivery and execution. This new vessel is in addition to Leonardo da Vinci and the other cable-laying vessels in our existing fleet, and from now on it will support the Group’s long-term growth in the submarine cable installation business, which is constantly evolving,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP Project BU, Prysmian Group.

Once operational, the new vessel will be dedicated to the execution of important projects such: as Dominion Energy, the largest submarine cabling project secured by Prysmian in the USA; the Neuconnect Energy Link project, the first power cable connection between the UK and Germany; and the Dolwin4 and Borwin4 projects, two offshore wind farm grid connection cable systems in Germany.
Prysmian Group also recently announced its fleet of cable laying vessels Leonardo Da Vinci, Giulio Verne, Cable Enterprise, and Ulisse increased to five with the purchase of Barbarossa I, a 67-meter-long ultra-shallow-water barge.

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Prysmian Group expands cables lay fleet

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