Jan De Nul reports that it has ordered what it described as the world’s largest cable-laying vessel (CVL) from China Merchants Heavy Industry Jiangsu (CMHI Haimen), which will build a vessel that has a cable-carrying capacity of 28,000 metric tons.

A press release said that Jan De Nul—a sixth-generation Belgian family business that provides services relating to the construction and maintenance of maritime infrastructure—has placed an order for the extra-large CLV. The vessel is designed to install cables into waters as deep as 3,000 m, will be equipped with a highly advanced dual exhaust filter system that removes up to 99% of nanoparticles from emissions using a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and a selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) for NOx removal.

The vessel, to be called the Fleeming Jenkin, will be equipped with three cable carousels, two mounted on deck and a third below deck. There will be a large hold for fiber optic cables, with the vessel capable of laying up to four cables simultaneously. It is scheduled for completion in 2026, at which time it will join the Jan De Nul fleet, which currently consists of two jack-up installation vessels, three floating crane installation vessels, five rock installation vessels and two multipurpose vessels.

The vessel will be powered by engines that can run on biofuel and green methanol and the hybrid power plant on board contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions and optimal fuel usage. It will combine the generators with a 2.5 MWh battery and drive technology, designed for peak shaving, load smoothening, spinning reserve and optimized engine loading. It will be built with GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane-type containment system.

“We stand firm in our belief in the energy transition. Following our previous investments in the jack-up vessel Voltaire and crane vessel Les Alizés for the installation of the next-gen wind turbines and their foundations, we now proceed with this magnificent cable-laying vessel,” said Philippe Hutse, director of the offshore energy division of the Jan De Nul Group. “Thanks to her unprecedented capabilities, the new CLV will be a perfect fit for the interconnector and export cable markets.”