On 4 April 2024, the keel laying ceremony took place for the DP3 cable laying vessel (CLV) Nexans Electra. This vessel will transport and lay various types of subsea cables, including cable bundles, as well as handle recovery and repair operations for Nexans Marine Operations AS in Norway.
The keel laying is a significant milestone and marks the commencement of assembling the main components of a newbuild vessel. The Nexans Electra is the second ship ordered by Nexans at Ulstein Verft and an updated version of Nexans’ flagship, the Nexans Aurora, a 2021 delivery.
“We are excited to see the first major milestone of the construction of the Electra underway and look forward to seeing the ship completed in its entirety,” says Marco Bregman, Director Installation & Services at Nexans.
The hull construction is well underway in Crist, Poland, while the remaining engineering, outfitting, system integration, equipment preparations, testing, sea trials, and finalisation will occur at Ulstein Verft in Norway. The ST-297 design has been developed by Skipsteknisk in Ålesund, a Norwegian ship design and engineering company.
The Nexans Electra will be outfitted for power cable laying with a two-carousel solution, including bundle laying, cable jointing, repair, cable system protection, and trenching. She can simultaneously lay up to four cables and will be outfitted to perform effectively in challenging weather conditions. Her exceptional manoeuvrability and station-keeping capabilities make her a valuable asset.
During the steel-cutting ceremony in January, Frode Beyer, Nexans’ project manager, expressed satisfaction with the close collaboration between designers, engineers, the shipyard, and the shipowner, which enabled construction to begin on schedule. The project continues to progress according to plan.
The vessel’s name, Nexans Electra, was chosen through an internal naming contest at Nexans. It aligns with the company’s slogan, ‘Electrifying the future’.
“In the upcoming months, the project management will prioritize several key areas,” says Runar Toftesund, project manager at Ulstein Verft.
“First, there will be a continued focus on hull construction, ensuring the structural integrity and foundation of the vessel. The hot work outfitting and paintwork will be carried out in Crist. Parallel to this process, collaboration with Nexans and other main suppliers will remain crucial to sustain the project’s momentum and drive progress.”
Nexans Electra measures 149.9m in length and 31m in beam and has a dead weight of 17,000 t. She can accommodate up to 90 people.
This cutting-edge cable-laying vessel boasts impressive features:
- A split turntable on deck can hold up to 10,000t of cable.
- An under-deck turntable with a 3,500t cable capacity.
- A fibre optic basket holding 450t.
