Prysmian back at Vard for a second advanced cable layer

New Prysmian cable layer will be similar to the Leonardo Da Vinci

Milan, Italy, based cable-laying giant Prysmian has returned to Fincantieri’s Norwegian-headquartered Vard subsidiary with an order contract for a 170 meter cable lay vessel. It will be very similar to the Leonardo da Vinci, delivered by Vard to Prysmian in 2021. Prysmian says that vessel has exceeded all expectations in its first year of operations.

According to Prysmian, that the new vessel represents an investment of approximately EUR 200 million plus about another EUR 40 million for cable equipment (which at current exchange rates is only marginally more in USD).

The new ship will be fully operational by first quarter 2025 and will be dedicated to the execution of major projects, including Dominion Energy, the largest submarine cabling job ever secured by Prysmian in the U.S.

The new vessel is especially designed for advanced subsea operations. Like the Leonardo da Vinci, the cable layer features deep water installation capabilities for depths of more than 3,000 meters and the highest cable loading capacity in the market. The cable layer is developed to perform complex installation operations, supported by a variety of burial systems, including heavy-duty plows, and state-of-the-art positioning and seakeeping systems, coupled with a reduced environmental footprint.

With substantially the same hull of Leonardo Da Vinci, a length of approximately 170 meters and a breadth of about 34 meters, the new vessel will have a similar cable installation equipment as the Da Vinci including: a first laying line with a capstan suitable for deep water installation at over 3,000 meters; a second independent laying line with linear cable engines in order to increase operating flexibility and two carousels of 7,000 and 10,000 tonnes capacity each., which ensure the highest cable loading capacity in the market, enabling a reduced transportation time from the factory to the site, for an overall improved project efficiency. The bollard pull will be in excess of 180 tonnes giving the ship the capability to perform complex installation operations and supporting a variety of burial systems, including heavy-duty plows.

The vessel will be equipped with state-of-the-art DP3 positioning and seakeeping systems, while the maximum transit speed will exceed 16 knots. Like Leonardo da Vinci, the new vessel will have green credentials: the high cable load capacity and navigation speed will significantly reduce the number of cable installation campaigns needed, compared to other vessels, thus enabling an overall decrease in CO2 emissions and a reduction in fuel consumption of approximately 40% compared to a traditional cable-laying vessel. Moreover, the very efficient and green engines will cut NOX emissions by 85%, allowing the cable-layer to comply with the most stringent international environmental requirements. In addition, the new vessel will be equipped with a battery pack for a total power of 3 megawatt.

The vessel has been designed by Vard Design in Ålesund, Norway. The hull will be built at the Vard Tulcea shipyard in Romania, while the final outfitting, commissioning and delivery will be carried out by one of Vard’s shipyards in Norway.

“The development of more efficient and sustainable power grids infrastructure is key to enable the energy transition, and submarine cables are an essential component. As global leader we are fully committed to technology innovation and we are happy to partner with worldwide leaders in the construction of vessels like Fincantieri and Vard to improve also our installation capabilities,” said Valerio Battista, CEO of the Prysmian Group.

“The complexity of such a ship fully demonstrates Fincantieri’s ability to ensure its customers technological excellence, constant innovation and commitment to sustainability. Indeed, the highly demanding context in which the vessel will operate, both in terms of environment and hi-tech requirements, will enhance the sophisticated latest generation onboard systems,” said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri. “We are therefore particularly pleased to serve Prysmian – once again – with a successful project in a sector such as cabling one, while supporting energy transition, which will attract investments in the near future.”