Norway’s Vard to build the hull of a cable laying vessel of EUR 170 M in Tulcea

Norway’s Vard, one of the world leaders in specialized shipbuilding, has been selected by Prysmian Group for the design and construction of one cable laying vessel. The contract value, including owner supplied special equipment, amounts to approximately EUR 170 million, and the hull is going to be build at Vard shipyard in Tulcea, as a press release informs.

The specialized vessel for advanced subsea operations, is intended to be the most capable cable layer in its market, featuring deep water installation capabilities for depths of more than 2,000 meters and high cable loading capacity in large cable rotating platforms. The cable layer is developed to perform complex installation operations, supported by a variety of burial systems, including heavy duty ploughs, and state-of-the-art positioning and seakeeping systems, coupled with a reduced environmental footprint. With a length of 172 meters, and a beam of 34 meters, the vessel will be able to accommodate a crew of 120 persons.

The cable layer is designed by Vard Design in Ålesund, Norway. Vard and Prysmian are currently completing the vessel’s design and according to contract activation scheme the commencement of construction phase is foreseen by end 2018. The vessel is scheduled for delivery from Vard Brattvaag in Norway, in 4Q 2020.

Prysmian Group is world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, with sales of about EUR 7.9 billion in 2017 and over 21,000 employees across 50 countries, including Romania. In 2017, Italian group opened its largest optical cable plant in Europe located in Slatina (southern Romania), after an investment of EUR 25 million.