Van Oord’s new DP2 cable-laying vessel ‘Nexus’ was officially launched at Damen Shipyards Galati on June 30
The 123 m multipurpose vessel will be deployed installing electricity cables for offshore wind farms. The international contractor for dredging, marine engineering and offshore energy projects has made the investment in this innovative vessel to pursue its strategy to offer Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts to offshore wind farm developers.
With a beam of 28 m and a dynamic positioning system (DP2), the Van Oord vessel will be equipped with a huge cable carousel, able to carry more than 5,000 tonnes of cable, and a heavy crane that will enable it to lay heavy export cables. The vessel has accommodation for 90 people.
Damen Offshore Carrier 7500
The new Van Oord cable layer is based on the Damen Offshore Carrier 7500, a new multipurpose vessel design with a spacious, flush working deck, which is ideally suited for Heavy Lift or RoRo transport, as well as offshore installation capabilities. Offshore installation equipment can be mounted on the vessel and the design can be customised to create a dedicated ship, as is the case with the Van Oord cable layer.
Van Oord CEO Pieter van Oord comments that the investment in the Damen cable laying vessel highlights the company’s drive to continuously serve new and existing markets by investing in state-of-the-art technology and marine ingenuity.
Currently, Van Oord is making preparations for the 600MW Gemini Offshore Wind Farm, which will be one of the largest offshore wind projects in the world. Van Oord was awarded the EPC contract, which is valued at more than EUR 1.3 billion.
At 55 kilometres to the north of Schiermonnikoog, one of the Dutch Wadden Islands, Gemini will consist of 150 4MW Siemens wind turbines, which will supply renewable energy to 785,000 households. The new cable-laying vessel will be deployed at this site amongst others.
Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 32 ship- and repair yards, employing 8,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 5,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers approximately 180 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship design concept Damen is able to guarantee consistent quality.
Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale value and reliable performance. Furthermore, Damen vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.
Damen offers a wide range of products, including: tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high-speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and super yachts.
For nearly all vessel types Damen offers a broad range of services, such as maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. Finally, Damen offers a variety of marine components, especially nozzles, (flap-type) rudders, steering gear, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.
Damen Shiprepair & Conversion
In addition to ship design and shipbuilding, Damen Shiprepair & Conversion offers a network of 16 repair and conversion yards worldwide, with dry docks ranging up to 420 x 80 metres. Conversion projects range from adapting vessels to meet today’s requirements and regulations to the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DS&C handles 1,500 repair and maintenance jobs annually.
