Megamas turns to Ulstein Design & Solutions for innovative cable-lay vessel

The companies said the decision to design and build the vessels was taken in “view of the shortage of cable ships, and the overall age of the fleet of vessels serving the cable industry.”

Megamas Resources said it plans to introduce two newbuilds based on the design, with the first ready for service early in 2026.

The vessel, designed for laying and maintaining cables, will handle fibre-optic telecommunication cables and power cables, covering the inter-array and export cable markets for offshore windfarms. 

The vessels will have the ULSTEIN X-Bow hullform, which was developed to reduce vessel motions. Using the hullform will reduce the strain on the cable as it is being laid. Ulstein Design & Solutions said it could also enable cable operations to take place in worse weather conditions than a vessel with a conventional bow. “Due to the absence of movement, there will be less wear and tear of the cable,” said the company.

The ship will be 120 m long with a beam of 23 m and will have accommodation for 70 people, with a deadweight of 8,000 tonnes. It will have a passage speed of 14 knots. 

The DP2 vessel will be able to operate in shallow water down to 15 m and will have a built-in sonar capable of seabed mapping, producing high-resolution data.

The new cable-lay vessels will have two cable tanks, of which one will be fitted with a carousel system and a guided spooler. An integral hangar enabling operations and sheltered maintenance of trenching remotely operated vehicles and A-frame for the deployment of a plough over the stern will enable the vessel to undertake all cable burial operations. 

Megamas Resources managing director Tiew Sien Kheng said, “We are happy to announce that together with Ulstein, the submarine cable industry will soon be able to make use of two, newly built, high-performance cable ships.”

Ulstein Design & Solutions sales manager Rolf Petter Almli said, “The cable-laying industry is growing, and we are happy to provide the concept design for two new vessels in this segment. We are dedicated to providing designs for cost-efficient vessel operations, taking into account the safety and comfort of the crew and the efficiency of operations.”