DEME, a leading contractor in the fields of offshore energy, environmental, remediation, dredging, and marine infrastructure, announce they have ordered a new Offshore Construction Vessel (OCV), strengthening its subsea cable installation capacity to meet the evolving global offshore wind market. Designed for versatility,the vessel will be capable of executing trenching, burial, and cable-laying operations, complementing
DEME’s existing cable installation vessels, Living Stone and Viking Neptun. Based on the advanced Norwegian SALT 310 design, the 123-meter OCV will be equipped with a DP2 dynamic positioning system, a 150-ton active heave-compensated offshore crane, a hangar for two Work Class ROVs, a hybrid 1,000-kWh battery system, and a methanol-ready propulsion design for future fuel flexibility. Below deck, the vessel is configured to accommodate two 2,500-ton cable carousels, enabling swift deployment and seamless transitions between trenching, burial, and cable-laying operations. The vessel can accommodate up to 123 people.
Trenching and cable burial are vital steps in subsea cable installation, ensuring cables are safely positioned beneath the seabed. From the vessel, an ROV trencher can be launched to execute these operations,working in synergy with DEME’s cable installation fleet. Representing a sizable investment1, the Offshore Construction Vessel will be constructed by PaxOcean at the Zhoushan shipyard in China and is scheduled for delivery in 2028.
Hugo Bouvy, Managing Director Offshore Energy, said:“With more than 5,000 km of subsea cables installed across wind farms in Europe and the United States, DEME continues to support clients in delivering offshore projects efficiently and reliably. Building on this track record, the new OCV further enhances DEME’s cable installation capabilities and expands its versatile fleet of vessels and solutions.”
