Chinese cable manufacturer Far East Cable has started construction of a new large-capacity multipurpose cable-laying vessel (CLV) at ZPMC’s shipyard in Shanghai, with the vessel set to support offshore wind, subsea interconnectors, and telecommunication cable installation projects.
According to ZPMC and Far East Cable, the vessel has been designed for unrestricted ocean navigation and will measure 148 metres in length, 38 metres in beam and accommodate up to 100 personnel.
The new CLV will feature a DP2 dynamic positioning system, a concentric dual-outlet rotating cable carousel and a maximum operating water depth of 150 metres. The companies said the vessel will have one of the largest cable-carrying capacities among Chinese cable-laying vessels.
Once delivered, the vessel will be deployed on a range of offshore operations, including subsea cable installation for offshore wind farms, inter-island and cross-sea power connections, cable repair, subsea umbilical installation and offshore wind operations and maintenance.
The CLV will also be capable of installing and repairing long-distance submarine fibre-optic cables, enabling it to serve both the offshore renewable energy and subsea telecommunications sectors.
Far East Cable is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Far East Smart Energy, a Far East Holding Group company.
The cable manufacturer has been contracted on major offshore wind projects, including China Three Gorges’ (CTG) 800 MW Jiangsu Dafeng, China’s farthest offshore wind farm, for which it provided 66 kV high-voltage torsion-resistant flexible cables and wire harnesses.
Far East Cable has also won the bid for China’s first large-scale deep-sea floating wind project, the 1 GW Hainan Wanning, and will provide a full range of products, including 66 kV dynamic subsea cables and construction services, according to the company’s website.