NKT has completed the ceremonial keel laying for NKT Eleonora. The new cable-laying vessel is a key element for NKT in strengthening its installation capacity and capabilities to meet the growing demand for offshore power cables.
The official keel laying of NKT’s new cable-laying vessel, NKT Eleonora, has taken place at one of the Norwegian shipyard VARD’s facilities in Romania. This ceremony marks the official beginning of construction.
– With NKT Eleonora, we are reinforcing our leading position in the global offshore cable market with unmatched installation capabilities. This ceremony symbolises our commitment to advancing offshore cable installation and investing in the energy infrastructure essential for the green transition, says Darren Fennell, Executive Vice President and Head of HV Solutions in Karlskrona.
Once in operation in 2027, NKT Eleonora will join NKT’s existing vessel, NKT Victoria, as a next-generation cable layer. Equipped with three turntables, she will have a cable-laying capacity of 23,000 tonnes and will host a wide range of subsea tools for precise installation and servicing of offshore cables. She will also be one of the first cable-laying vessels designed and built to run on low-carbon fuel, methanol. NKT Eleonora is part of NKT’s ongoing investments aimed at strengthening production and installation capacity and capabilities across seven high- and medium-voltage sites.
NKT Eleonora key facts:
- Cable laying capacity: 23,000 tonnes on three turntables
- Dimensions: Length 176,5 meters, breadth 32 meters
- Schedule: Vessel is expected operational from 2027
- Fuel: Dual fuel. Methanol and HVO/marine diesel oil
- Engines: Wärtsilä 32 Methanol Engines
- Shipyard: VARD, a Norwegian designer and builder of specialized vessels
- Design: Salt Ship Design
- Main suppliers: ABB (Onboard DC Grid power system and aft Azipod electrical propulsion), Wärtsilä (engine maker, front tunnel and azimuth thruster), NOV REMACUT (cable-laying system, cranes and mission equipment)
- Name: NKT Eleonora means shining light and is a reference to NKT’s central position in transmitting power through its cable solutions and to the bright future
