Page 68: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2025)

Ship of the Month

World’s Largest Cable LayerWorld’s Largest Cable Layer

Image courtesy Jan De Nul

The CMHI Haimen shipyard in China launched for Jan • Green technologies: The vessel is an Ultra-Low Emission

De Nul its newest cable-laying vessel: the Fleeming Jenkin, vessel (ULEv). ULEv is an advanced dual exhaust ? lter which will be used to install subsea cables for the transmis- system which removes up to 99% of nanoparticles from sion of renewable energy. It has a loading capacity of 28,000 emissions using a diesel particulate ? lter and a reduction tons, reportedly making it the world’s largest of its kind. De- system for nitrogen oxides (NOx). The engines can run on livery is scheduled for the second half of 2026. With its capac- biofuel and green methanol, reducing CO emissions. 2 ity and a length of 215m, the ship is designed to install longer • Electric Hybrid vessel: The hybrid power plant combines and heavier cables in ultra-deep waters up to 3,000 meters. the generators with a 2.5 MWh battery and drive technol-

Besides the Fleeming Jenkin, Jan De Nul is also building an ogy, designed for peak shaving, load smoothing, spinning identical sister ship, William Thomson. reserve and optimized engine loading.

Once operational, it will start her ? rst assignment: the 2GW

Program by TenneT, the grid operator for the Netherlands and

Fleeming Jenkin Main Particulars large parts of Germany, which debuts a new generation of off-

Owner ......................................................................Jan De Nul

Shipbuilder .........................................................CMHI Haimen shore grid connection systems that can each transmit up to

Maximum cable load ................................................28,000 t two gigawatts. This is more than double the capacity of exist-

Turntable capacity .......................2 x 11,000 t + 1 x 7,500 t ing connections, usually between 700 and 900 MW. Fleeming

Length o.a. ....................................................................215 m

Jenkin will install export cables on four of these 2GW connec-

Breadth .............................................................................40 m

Draught loaded ............................................................9.75 m tions, bundling and laying four cables together. In step with

Draft empty .....................................................................5.5 m the launch, Jan De Nul also announced a new vessel to protect

Propulsion power .............4 x 2,600 kW Azimuth thrusters subsea cables: the George W. Goethals, which will be Jan

Bow thruster power ..........................................3 x 2,100 kW

De Nul’s third rock installation vessel capable of transporting

Retractable thruster power .............................2 x 2,600 kW

Total installed diesel power ................................30,600 kW more than 30,000 tons of material. Highlights include:

Speed max. ............................................................13.5 knots • Cable-carrying capacity of 28,000 tons: It will be

Accommodation .................................................120 persons equipped with three cable carousels (2 on deck, 1 below)

Deck carousel .....................................................2 x 11,000 t and a large hold for ? ber optic cables, capable of laying up

Inner diameter ...................................................................8 m

Under deck carousel ...................................................7,500 t to four cables simultaneously.

Inner diameter ...................................................................8 m • Cable tensions up to 150 tons: On the aft deck, the vessel

Fiber optic tanks ......................................................2 x 600 t is equipped with a chute and a cable-laying wheel. In com-

Tensioners Laying......................................3 x 50 t – 4 tracks bination with the tensioners, the chute allows installation

Loading ......................................................2 x 7.5 t – 2 tracks

Laying wheel integrated in stern chute ........12 m diameter of cables in shallow waters, while the cable-laying wheel

Offshore cranes .......................................................100t AHC makes installation at great depths more ef? cient. The ten-

ROVs ...................................2 x WROV, 3,000m depth rating sioners enable the vessel to handle and control cable ten-

Winch ................150t AHC abandonment & recovery winch sions up to 150 tons.

68 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • November 2025

MR #11 (66-76).indd 68 MR #11 (66-76).indd 68 11/3/2025 1:53:23 PM11/3/2025 1:53:23 PM