Van Oord has ordered a next-generation custom-built green cable-laying vessel.
The 130-metre long vessel will be delivered from Vard in Norway and equipped with the latest sustainable technologies.
It will be fully operational in 2023.
Van Oord said the investment is part of a strategy to strengthen its position in the growing offshore wind market.
The new DP2 vessel will be equipped with a below-deck cable carousel and a second carousel on deck, with total cable-carrying capacity of 8000 tonnes.
It will mainly be deployed for work on array and export cables and will also be able to install HVDC cables.
Van Oord’s cable trenchers will also be operated from the vessel, which will be its second cable lay in addition to the Nexus.
The hybrid vessel will have future fuel ready engines with built-in flexibility to anticipate e-fuels.
It will have a large battery pack, a shore supply connection and a modern energy management system.
Van Oord chief executive Pieter van Oord said: “Van Oord is committed to reducing CO2 emissions to become carbon-neutral by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.
“This investment emphasises our commitment to net-zero emissions.”
Vard chief executive Alberto Maestrini said: “We highly appreciate the close and excellent cooperation that has been established between Van Oord and Vard’s project teams to enable this innovative vessel within the renewable segment.
“Our ambition is to contribute to our customers achievements, through environmentally friendly vessels and technological solutions focusing on safety, sustainability and efficiency performance, and we are looking forward to developing this cable-layer together with Van Oord.”