New cable layer of Norwegian design
29th September 2017
The profile of cable laying ships has changed significantly over the decades and a 113.1m by 21.5m vessel being built by Sri Lanka’s Colombo Dockyard for Japan’s Kokusai Cable Ship Co. Ltd is a case in point.
Designed by Norway’s Vard Design to install and repair subsea telecom cables, the ship will have a below-deck cable capacity of 3,000 tons in tanks and 2,000 tons on a carousel.
An A-frame will be mounted aft to support the use of a hydro plow and trenching ROV to securely bury the cable in the ocean floor.
A transiting speed of 14.5 knots and a bollard pull of 80 tonnes will be provided by a diesel/electric system incorporating four generator sets developing 2,250 kW each.
In terms of both vessel length and value this will be the largest construction contract ever won by Colombo Dockyard.
Report by Jim Shaw
