On June 15, Qinshijiamei Energy Technology (Nantong) Co., Ltd. held a grand groundbreaking ceremony for a 16,000-ton deep-sea self-propelled cable-laying vessel.
According to previous reports, the vessel was designed in detail by the Marine Design and Research Institute of China (MARIC), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), and is a deep-sea self-propelled cable-laying vessel. The vessel’s main dimensions are 161.8 m × 38.0 m × 11.8 m (length × beam × draft), with a design full-load draft of approximately 7.5 m and a design light-load draft of approximately 6.0 m. It is classified for unlimited navigation, flies the Chinese flag, and is registered with the China Classification Society (CCS). It is primarily used for submarine cable construction in offshore wind farms or oil and gas projects across Chinese waters, Southeast Asia, and the Middle It is capable of simultaneous cable laying and burial operations at maximum water depths of no less than 150 meters, and dual-channel cable laying operations at maximum water depths of no less than 3,000 meters.
This vessel is a new type of submarine cable construction vessel, constructed of steel, fully electric welded, self-propelled, with a streamlined bow and stern, a spacious stern working deck, and a forecastle. It is equipped with three azimuth thrusters at the stern and three bow thrusters at the bow, and features DP2 dynamic positioning capability. Its maximum speed is 12.0 knots at a light load design draft of approximately 6.0m, and 11.0 knots at a full load design draft of approximately 7.5m.
It is worth noting that the vessel is designed to handle a maximum cable load of 16,000 tons under standard operating conditions and features a single concentric cable drum on the main deck. It is equipped with two subsea cable laying lines, enabling simultaneous laying of two cables. The second cable laying line is fitted with a large drum winch to support deep-water cable laying and repair operations, and is capable of performing cable maintenance, optical cable laying, and optical cable repair and splicing.
This vessel is the world’s leading deep-sea cable-laying vessel in terms of single-reel cable capacity. It is capable of operating in any maritime region, has overcome the challenges of ultra-deepwater construction, and pioneered an innovative dual-cable simultaneous laying process. Its operational precision and efficiency meet world-class standards, enabling it to serve the vast deepwater markets in China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and beyond.