Nexans, Crowley Wind Services to operate Jones Act cable-lay barge

Together, the companies are to operate a barge that will install subsea cables for offshore windfarms, telecommunications and other applications.

The 91-m, US-flagged barge, built in Louisiana, will be crewed by Americans under Crowley’s operation. 

Crowley said the barge is the first to have vertical injectors along with a dynamic positioning system and a multiple-anchor positioning system, which will enable accurate and efficient cable placement, even in challenging conditions.

The company said the barge will have a 3,500-tonne capacity carousel to lay and bury subsea cable using burial tools such as the vertical injector, jet sled or a jetting remotely operated vehicle, with the potential to be upgraded to 7,000 tonnes with two carousels for bundle cable lay and burial. 

The American company said the barge “is positioned to support Equinor’s Empire Wind offshore windfarm and can be configured to lay or repair cable for a multitude of other subsea applications.”

Nexans transmission business group executive vice-president Pascal Radue said, “This barge will support our existing fleet of cable-laying vessels, Aurora, Skagerrak and Electra. We are pleased to be working with Crowley to develop the capability to lay nearshore subsea cable in the US.”

Crowley Wind Services vice president of operations Graham Tyson said the cable-lay barge “will provide a productive supply chain solution for offshore energy, telecommunications and other sectors.”