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Orange Marine chooses Vard design cable layer

2021-03-03 CHARLIE BARTLETT, INTENT COMMUNICATIONS
cable laying, offshore, Vard, Orange Marine,

03032021 Orange Marine cable layer // orange_marine_cable_layer.jpg (124 K)

Caption: Vard's design for Orange Marine suggests the cable laying and repair ship will be approximately 100m in length, with a beam on 18.8m. (Photo Credit: Orange Marine) 

Orange Marine has selected Vard for the design of a new cable laying and repair ship, slated to be 25% more efficient than existing vessels thanks to a battery-hybrid power system and podded propulsion.

The new vessel is being developed specifically with a view to participating in the offshore wind industry as well as power and communications segments. A Vard 9 03 design, due for launch in 2023, it represents repeat business for the designer, after Orange Marine added Vard 9 01 ‘Pierre de Fermat’ in 2014. The new vessel will replace cable layer Raymond Croze, which has been in operation since 1983 and has conducted more than 100 cable repairs in the Mediterranean, Black Sea and Red Sea.

The vessel, specially designed for the maintenance of submarine fibre-optic and inter-array power cables, is the latest in a long line of VARD-designed cable layers, which also included 2011-built Connector currently operated by Jan De Nul Group; 2016-built Vard 9 01 design Seaway Aimery built at Remontova Shipyard for Siem Offshore; 2014-built fibre-optic cable laying vessel Pierre de Fermat; and 2019-built KDDI Cable Infinity, which was also built at Colombo Dockyard.

Cable layers are liable to be in huge demand over the coming decade, with an enormous extent of new power and communications cabling needing to be laid for the purposes of connecting offshore windfarms.

“The decision to build this vessel is very good news for Orange Marine, its employees and its customers,” Didier Dillard, CEO of Orange Marine, said. ”We will have a new and high-performance tool, with a low environmental footprint, which will allow us to offer high-quality services for several decades to our customers, not only owners of submarine telecommunications cables but also operators of offshore wind farms.”

Emmanuel Décugis head of Fleet and Crew Department at Orange Marine told CEDA Industry News that when carrying out cable repair work, the vessel will require a crew of 57 persons. This includes officers, ratings, ROV (remotely operated vehicle) pilots, jointers and cable engineers.

The UK, currently the largest player in offshore wind, has committed to quadruple its current capacity to 40GW by the end of this decade. Meanwhile in the US, President Joe Biden has signed an executive order pausing all new fossil fuel subsidies, and pledging to double the planned offshore wind capacity from 21GW to 41GW in the same time frame.

 

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