Prysmian begins construction of new cable-laying vessel

Prysmian has kicked off the construction of its new cable-laying vessel with a steel-cutting ceremony at VARD’s shipyard in Romania.

The construction of the sister vessel to cable-layer Leonardo da Vinci began on 16 February at Vard Tulcea in Romania.

“Prysmian Group had the honor of hitting the button to start the laser cutter that began to shape the massive 171-meter-long hull of the new  vessel, which is expected to enter operations during the first quarter of 2025,” said Sebastiano Aleo, Head of Submarine Systems Installation in BU Projects at Prysmian.

“The Leonardo da Vinci has exceeded all expectations since she was delivered in 2021. This new vessel will allow us to meet the new challenges of an ever-evolving market with a fleet of six ships.”

According to Prysmian, the new vessel will have green credentials, high cable load capacity and navigation speed that will significantly reduce the number of cable installation campaigns needed, enabling an overall decrease in CO2 emissions and a reduction in fuel consumption of approximately 40 per cent compared to a traditional cable-laying vessel.

Moreover, the engines cut NOX emissions by 85 per cent, allowing the cable-layer to comply with the most stringent international environmental requirements.

The vessel is developed to perform complex installation operations, supported by a variety of burial systems, including heavy-duty ploughs, and positioning and seakeeping systems, coupled with a reduced environmental footprint, the company said.

As Leonardo Da Vinci, the new cable-laying vessel will also be equipped with similar cable installation equipment, such as a capstan suitable for deep water installation at over 3,000 meters, a second independent laying line with linear cable engines in order to increase operating flexibility, and two carousels of 7,000 and 10,000 tonnes.

Prysmian’s fleet currently consists of five cable-laying vessels, including Giulio Verne, with a track record of about 35 years, Cable Enterprise, mainly used for installation of offshore wind export cables, Ulisse, a barge for shallow-water installation, Barbarossa, a small barge recently added to the fleet and designed for operations in very shallow water and intertidal zones, and Leonardo da Vinci.