Agalas orders advanced offshore cable layer
Written by Nick Blenkey
Methanol dual-fueled battery-hybrid cable layer will feature a 70-tonne capacity Nekkar offshore crane. [Image: NSK ship Design]
A 99-meter cable installation vessel on order for first quarter 2025 delivery from Sefine Shipyard in Turkey will have a number of advanced features. The vessel will be owned by Harstad, Norway, based shipowner Agalas, which was established last year. One of the partners in the Agalas is NSK Ship Design, which has designed the cable layer in cooperation with Cecon Contracting, which will operate the vessel.
The cable layer will be able to do more than lay cable. Delivered with a methanol dual fuel system and a battery pack, it has been designed to be a versatile work platform that can operate in other segments of the offshore industry when not installing cable. It is prepared for typical offshore wind services as well as light construction work.
OFFSHORE CRANE
It will be equipped with a 70-tonne capacity offshore crane capable of performing both subsea installation and removal operations plus topside 3D-compensated lifting operations in conjunction with wind farm developments and operations.
Delivered by Nekkar ASA, through its recently acquired Techano Group subsidiary, the knuckle boom crane is equipped with an active heave compensated (AHC) winch with 2,000 meter wire for subsea operation, and a separate 3-tonne 3D active motion compensated lifting tool, for topside lifts.
Nekkar’s subsidiary company Intellilift will deliver the crane’s motion compensating system, digital control system, leveraging sensors, cameras, and software.
“We have developed a crane that is ideal for vessels operating on offshore wind farms. It can perform subsea lifting operations and is capable of supporting wind farm operations with lifting of equipment and tools necessary to operate and maintain wind turbines. It offers a flexibility that improves the commercial potential for the shipowner while it also reduces operating costs for operators of wind farms,” says Øystein Bondevik, director of business development and sales at Nekkar.
“Our joint ambition is to deliver smart, lightweight, and energy-efficient lifting and handling solutions that are fully automated and digitized, capable of challenging the incumbent solutions in the market. This contract demonstrates that bringing Techano into Nekkar was a good enabler for both parties,” says Ole Falk Hansen, CEO of Nekkar ASA.
