ZPMC starts building large cable-laying vessel for Far East Cable
The 148-metre newbuild will support offshore wind, subsea interconnector and telecommunications cable projects with one of the largest carrying capacities among Chinese CLVs
Chinese cable manufacturer Far East Cable has begun construction of a new large-capacity multipurpose cable-laying vessel at a shipyard in Shanghai, with the ship designed to support offshore wind, subsea interconnector and telecommunications cable installation projects. The vessel has been designed for unrestricted ocean navigation and will measure 148 metres in length and 38 metres in beam, with accommodation for up to 100 personnel once complete.
The new ship will feature a dynamic positioning system, a concentric dual-outlet rotating cable carousel and a maximum operating water depth of 150 metres, giving it the ability to work across a range of offshore conditions. According to the companies involved, the vessel will have one of the largest cable-carrying capacities among Chinese cable-laying vessels once delivered, positioning it as a significant addition to the country's offshore cable installation fleet.
Once in service, the vessel is intended for a broad range of operations, including subsea cable installation for offshore wind farms, inter-island and cross-sea power connections, cable repair work, subsea umbilical installation and ongoing operations and maintenance support for offshore wind assets. It will also be capable of installing and repairing long-distance submarine fibre-optic cables, allowing it to serve both the offshore renewable energy sector and the subsea telecommunications industry from a single platform.
Far East Cable, a subsidiary of Far East Smart Energy within the wider Far East Holding Group, has already been involved in major offshore wind projects in China, including supplying high-voltage torsion-resistant flexible cables and wire harnesses for a large offshore wind farm off Jiangsu province described as the country's farthest offshore development to date. The company has also won work on a large-scale deep-sea floating wind project in Hainan, where it will supply dynamic subsea cables alongside construction services.
The new vessel adds to a growing fleet of specialised Chinese cable-laying ships being built to support the country's expanding offshore wind and subsea infrastructure ambitions, as demand grows for vessels capable of handling both power cables and telecommunications cables across increasingly complex offshore projects.
