Progress in piecing together Nexans cable laying vessel continues with new equipment order

The latest equipment piece for a newbuild cable laying vessel (CLV), which is being constructed for Nexans, France’s cable systems designer and manufacturer, will fall into place, thanks to an order Ulstein Verft, a Norwegian shipyard, placed with Aalesund-based Hydroniq Coolers.

The deal with Ulstein will enable Hydroniq Coolers to supply several of its Pleat seawater coolers for a large, DP3 cable laying vessel of an ST-297 CLV design made by Skipsteknisk as an updated version of the Nexans Aurora cable laying vessel, which was delivered by the Norwegian shipyard to Nexans Subsea Operations in 2021.

Magnar Kvalheim, Sales Manager at Hydroniq Coolers, commented: “We supplied the marine cooling system to Nexans Aurora back in 2020, and we are proud that the yard and shipowner place a repeat order with us. The feedback we receive from our customers is that they consider the Pleat to be a reliable, maintenance friendly and cost-efficient seawater cooling system.” 

The marine cooling systems, which are said to reduce temperatures in the ship’s engines and other auxiliary systems through seawater, are used to avoid overheating of the engine and other critical systems. Therefore, Pleat coolers will use seawater to provide central cooling of the vessel’s main motors, including the main engine, propulsion system, and other auxiliary systems. The contract’s value has not been disclosed.

As the patented Pleat is a module-based titanium cooler for seawater to freshwater, its design is perceived to ensure a reliable product, reducing the need to maintain the system. When maintenance is required, the company claims it can be done “easily and quickly,” as it involves dismantling, high-pressure cleaning, and assembly of “a few robust elements that are easy to get watertight again.”

“Compared to a traditional heat exchanger, one Pleat cooling element is equal to approximately 15 plates. Whereas cleaning a traditional plate heat exchanger can take a significant amount of time to complete, cleaning of the Pleat can easily be done buy one person within one hour. This is an obvious advantage of the system, particularly for vessels that operate offshore for long periods at a time, such as this newbuild cable laying vessel,” Kvalheim elaborated.

After manufacturing the Pleat coolers at its headquarters in Ellingsøy outside Aalesund, Norway, Hydroniq Coolers will deliver the system to Ulstein Verft in Ulsteinvik for Nexans’ new vessel which is specially designed to carry out the transport and laying of various types of subsea cables, including cable bundles as well as recovery and repair.

Envisioned to perform effectively even in challenging weather conditions, this 31-meter wide and 149.9-meter long cable layer features a split turntable on deck capable of holding up to 10,000 tons of cable, an under-deck turntable with a 3,500 t cable capacity, and a fiber optic basket holding 450 t. The vessel can accommodate a crew of 90.

Four months after signing a shipbuilding contract, Nexans Marine Operations and Ulstein Verft started the construction of the new CLV, named Nexans Electra. After the grand block ceremony was celebrated in September 2024 in Poland, the remaining processes, such as engineering, outfitting, system integration, equipment preparations, testing, sea trials, and finalization, are expected to take place at Ulstein Verft in Norway.

Multiple players were hired to contribute to the CLV’s construction, including Palfinger for a comprehensive equipment package, Remacut, part of NOV, for the cable-lay equipment, and Red Rock for an upgraded crane package.