New UK-Belgian joint venture buys 25-year-old cable-layer

UK’s Enshore Subsea and Belgian Herbosch-Kiere have partnered to purchase a 25-year-old cable-laying vessel (CLV) in a newly created joint venture.

Herbosch-Kiere and Enshore Subsea have purchased the 1999-built, 88-meter-long Topaz Installer vessel, set to be renamed CMOS Installer.

The vessel is managed and operated jointly by the two companies in a freshly created partnership, the Combined Marine Offshore Services (CMOS) company.

“We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of our cable laying vessel. This marks a significant milestone for our company as we expand our capabilities in the offshore industry,” said Benny De Sutter, Managing Director of Herbosch-Kiere.

“This vessel represents a strategic investment in our fleet, allowing us to execute projects with greater efficiency and reliability. Together with the know-how of Enshore Subsea, we are committed to delivering high-quality solutions to our clients and driving the subsea sector.”

According to the partners, the vessel is highly maneuverable and has a shallow draft and a proven cable-laying track record stretching back 25 years.

CMOS Installer is currently in Singapore and after a scheduled dry dock and upgrade will make its way to Korea to collect a cable consignment, before heading to Senegal for its first contract under its new ownership.

The UK-Belgium partners recently secured a $200 million contract to deliver onshore and offshore works for two links in Senegal as part of a program that aims to revolutionize the country’s power infrastructure and provide sustainable electricity to millions of people.

The companies announced in September 2023 that they would establish an integrated joint venture in which both would share 50% of the responsibilities.

“The addition of the CMOS Installer to the Enshore Subsea portfolio fits perfectly with our strategy of focussing on shallow water EPCI cable projects as well as complete trenching solutions from beach approach to deep water. We are delighted to be strengthening our partnership with Herbosch-Kiere, enabling us to offer our clients a complete package approach with onshore and offshore capability,” said Pierre Boyde, Enshore’s Managing Director.