DEME is expanding its offshore energy fleet with the order of a new Offshore Construction Vessel (OCV) to strengthen subsea cable installation capacity.
The 123-metre vessel will be capable of trenching, burial and cable-laying operations, complementing DEME’s existing cable installation vessels Living Stone and Viking Neptun.
Based on the Norwegian SALT 310 design, the OCV will feature a DP2 dynamic positioning system, a 150-tonne active heave-compensated offshore crane, a hangar for two Work Class ROVs, a hybrid 1,000kWh battery system, and a methanol-ready propulsion design.
Below deck, it will house two 2,500-tonne cable carousels for swift deployment and smooth transitions between trenching, burial and laying activities. The vessel will accommodate up to 123 people.
Construction will be carried out by PaxOcean at the Zhoushan shipyard in China, with delivery scheduled for 2028.
Hugo Bouvy, managing director offshore energy at DEME, said: “With more than 5,000km of subsea cables installed across wind farms in Europe and the United States, DEME continues to support clients in delivering offshore projects efficiently and reliably. Building on this track record, the new OCV further enhances DEME’s cable installation capabilities and expands its versatile fleet of vessels and solutions.”