Jan De Nul acquires cable-lay vessel Connector

Jan De Nul director offshore division Philippe Hutse said, “Connector has a very good reputation in the sector and is known as one of the world’s top tier subsea installation and construction vessels.

“It is capable of operating in ultra-deep water up to 3,000 m deep. We now own and operate the largest fleet of dedicated cable-lay vessels. Connector will further strengthen the Jan De Nul fleet for the future of offshore energy production.”

Ocean Yield SVP investments Andreas Reklev said, “Connector was operating on a long-term bareboat charter until February 2017. In anticipation of a market recovery, Ocean Yield has for the past years traded the vessel in the short-term market.

“Through this position we have realized that in fact an industrial setup is required to operate the vessel efficiently in the cable-lay market, so that a total solution can be offered, including dedicated engineering and operations teams.

“As such, we believe Jan De Nul will be well placed to efficiently operate the vessel which we see leaving in an excellent condition after having just completed its 10 year dry docking and class renewal surveys.”

Jan De Nul manager offshore cables Wouter Vermeersch said, “Connector makes a perfect combination with our cable-lay vessel Isaac Newton.

“Both vessels are interchangeable with similar large carrying capacities thanks to similar dual turntable systems, while at the same time they each have their own specific characteristics that make them complementary.

“Our third cable-lay vessel Willem de Vlamingh completes our trio with its unique all-round capabilities including operating in very shallow waters.”

Connector, built in 2011, is a DP3 multipurpose cable- and flex-lay vessel. It has a proven track record of installing power cables and umbilicals using its dual turntables with a combined total capacity of 9,000 tonnes.

The vessel has two heave-compensated cranes, one of 400-tonnes and one of 100-tonnes. Connector is also fitted with two built-in work-class ROVs which can work in water depths of up to 4,000 m. The vessel also has a large deck area and crane coverage, making it suitable for cable repairs.