NCT Offshore orders inter-array cable-laying vessel for offshore wind market 

The shipbuilder will build a Vard 9 01 cable-layer for the company, a design developed for operation in close collaboration with NCT Offshore.

Vard said the vessel has a “high focus on seakeeping capability, excellent station-keeping performance and low fuel consumption.” For improved sustainability, the vessel will be equipped with a SeaQ power and control package, encompassing batteries, switchboards, and a shore connection system, allowing for a reduction in fuel consumption and increased operability. 

The vessel will be fitted with two main cable tanks, a hangar for a remotely operated vehicle and a walk-to-work system and will be prepared for the installation of a large A-frame and single-cabin accommodation for 60 people. 

The vessel will have a DP2 dynamic positioning system and is intended primarily for inter-array cable installation. It will also be capable of cable repair/maintenance and the installation of fibre optic cable.

The vessel design was developed by Vard Design in Ålesund, Norway. The hull will be built at Vard Tulcea in Romania and final outfitting, commissioning and delivery will be carried out by one of Vard’s shipyards in Norway. 

The cable layer is scheduled for delivery Q4 2024 and will have a length overall of approximately 95 m and a beam of about 22 m. It will have cable installation equipment for 4,500 tonnes of cable. The vessel will have a bollard pull of in excess of 60 tonnes, maximum transit speed of in excess of 14 knots and a hybrid propulsion package.