Lindblad Expeditions to use new cable transit on newbuild

STI Marine cable transit EZ-Path, supplied by Elpro, is a new solution being deployed on Lindblad Expeditions’ cruise ship, being built by Ulstein Verft Shipyard.

“EZ-Path is a new and innovative solution, but our customers have been reluctant to be the first mover to implement the product. Therefore, it is a pleasure to announce that Ulstein Verft is satisfied with their decision to select this transit for newbuild 312,” said Elpro head of sales and marketing Ola Staverløkk.

Elpro is one of the specialised vendors in the European market who supplies EZ-Path, and the sole supplier in Norway.

Mr Staverløkk points out that the number of cables aboard a ship has increased considerably as a consequence of increased digitalisation – the greater number of digital solutions there are, the more cables needed.

“The cable transits from STI Marine hold DNV GL type-approval and A60 classification, meaning when using EZ-Path, the installers do not need to waste time packing cables to fireproof them,” he says.

Ulstein Elektro Installasjon chief production officer Atle Moldskred said “EZ-Path is something completely different. The transit is mounted, and then you simply pull the cable through. With EZ-Path, we do not have to consider all the work that would otherwise be involved in packing cables in the correct and supplier-specific way.”

“The fact that EZ-Path makes packing blocks unnecessary is a huge time-saver, measurable by work hours, said Mr Staverløkk.

Mr Moldskred added “Even though purchasing EZ-Path is slightly more expensive than other cable transits, it saves costs during operating time.” He explained that STI Marine cable transits are less expensive to operate because you can simply pull new cables through, as opposed to other solutions, where the packing needs to be dismounted and then reassembled after adding cables.

The expedition cruise ship National Geographic Endurance was built for voyages to the polar regions, and construction of its sister vessel, National Geographic Resolution, is already well underway. The sister ship will also be equipped with STI Marine cable transits supplied by Elpro.

The sister vessel is due for delivery to the Lindblad cruise line by Q3 2021.