Cable installation vessel is delivered

The vessel is going directly on a long-term charter for Norwegian subsea services provider DeepOcean. Based on Damen’s DOC 8500 platform, the vessel has been customised to meet the challenges of reducing offshore renewables costs, the Dutch shipbuilder says.
“We’ve already been awarded three UK and North Sea contracts for Maersk Connector, so we’re very satisfied,” remarked DeepOcean Commercial Director Pierre Boyde.
Owned and operated by Copenhagen-based Maersk Supply Service, the vessel is the latest addition to the 50-plus strong Maersk offshore support vessel fleet.
So far the vessel has been contracted to undertake marine works for three DeepOcean contracts: the Walney Extension Project, the Nemo Link® interconnector and the Bligh Bank Phase II Offshore Wind Farm. In combination with new survey, trenching and installation equipment, much of which has been awarded to UK manufacturers, Maersk Connector enables DeepOcean to deliver more efficient, cost-effective and safer cable installation.
Contributing to production efficiency, the vessel is capable of grounding out with its seven-points mooring system, Damen said. This eliminates the need for a separate shallow-water, cable-laying vessel and minimises the number of cable joints required. The bespoke 7000-tonne carousel system accommodates bundled installation of high-specification cables with no need to coil the cables.
Built at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania, Maersk Connector is the second of a new generation of cable-laying vessels based on what the shipbuilder says is the proven Damen Offshore Carrier (DOC) platform. Developed as a flexible platform for both transport and installation work offshore, the DOC 8500 is 138m in length and has a beam of 27.5m.