Second Jan De Nul XL cable layer named after ‘scientific genius’

Jan De Nul has named its new XL cable-laying vessel (CLV), identical to the Fleeming Jenkin ordered last year, after the Irish physicist William Thompson.

William Thomson, ordered earlier this year, will have three carousels and a cable-carrying capacity of 28,000 tonnes, the same as the previously ordered Fleeming Jenkin. Together, the vessels are expected to be the largest cable-laying vessels in the world.

“The vessels will certainly be innovative for the offshore cable industry, as so was physicist William Thomson. His name could therefore not be more appropriate for our second XL cable-laying vessel, for several reasons,” Jan De Nul said.

“He was a brilliant physicist, played a crucial role in the success of the transatlantic telegraph cable, helped lay the foundations of electromagnetic theory and was a great enthusiast of sea travel. William Thomson paved the way for the modern offshore cable industry. It is therefore fitting that our newest cable-laying vessel will be named after this scientific genius.”

Born in 1824 in Belfast, Ireland, William Thomson, later also known as Lord Kelvin, had a strong interest in thermodynamics, and his theories were fundamental to the concept of absolute temperature, better known as the Kelvin scale, however, his primary focus was on the study of electricity and his ideas helped establish the relationship between light, magnetism, and electricity, the company notes.

Thomson’s most famous achievement is the success of the transatlantic telegraph cable which connects Europe with North America across the Atlantic Ocean, installed in 1866, through which the two continents could communicate via Morse code within minutes. Jan De Nul explains that this was largely thanks to Thomson’s galvanometer, which measures the strength of the electric current.

As for the relationship between Thomson and Fleeming Jenkin, they knew each other well, largely due to shared interest in electrical engineering and submarine telegraphy, exchanging ideas, collaborating on projects, and influencing each other’s work, Jan De Nul explains, adding that Jenkin also worked on the transatlantic telegraph cable.

Like Fleeming Jenkin, William Thomson will be 215 meters long and can be powered by biofuel and green methanol. The vessels will be capable of laying cables in both shallow and ultra-deep waters up to 3,000 meters and handling cable tensions of up to 150 tonnes.

They will be equipped with ultra-low emission vessel (ULEv) technology, an advanced dual exhaust filter system, said to remove up to 99% of nanoparticles from emissions using a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and a selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) for NOx removal, as well as significantly reduce exhaust gas pollutants.

The vessels comply with the European Stage V emission standards for inland waterway vessels and the NOx emissions are reduced to such an extent that the vessels even meet EURO VI emission limits.

The hybrid power plant on board, which combines the generators with a 2.5 MWh battery and drive technology, also contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions and optimal fuel usage.

Fleeming Jenkin, which will be delivered in 2026, has already been booked for its first projects.