Vard has secured a new contract for the design and construction of a Cable Laying Vessel for Prysmian Group of Italy, which will be very similar to the ‘Leonardo da Vinci’, which was delivered from Vard to Prysmian in 2021.
Prysmian says the Leonardo da Vinci exceeded all expectations in its first year of operations, so it is returning to VARD to secure another vessel for the fleet. The new cable layer is scheduled for delivery in Q1 2025.
Valerio Battista, CEO Prysmian Group said: “The development of smart and sustainable power grids infrastructure is key to enable the energy transition, and submarine cables are an essential component. As global leader we are fully committed to technology innovation and we are happy to partner with a worldwide leader in the construction of vessels like Vard and Fincantieri to improve also our installation capabilities.”
The new vessel is 170m long and is specially designed for advanced subsea operations. As with Leonardo da Vinci, the cable layer features deep water installation capabilities for depths of more than 3,000m and the highest cable loading capacity in the market. The cable layer is developed to perform complex installation operations, supported by a variety of burial systems, including heavy-duty ploughs, and DP3 positioning and seakeeping systems coupled with a reduced environmental footprint.
Alberto Maestrini, CEO Vard, said: “Our mission is to enable sustainable maritime operations, and that Prysmian is now coming back to place a new order, proves that our vessels contribute to reaching their ambitions for quality, efficiency, and sustainability of submarine cable installation projects. We look forward to embarking on this new project together with Prysmian.”
The vessel is designed by Vard Design in Ålesund, Norway. The hull will be built at Vard Tulcea in Romania, while the final outfitting, commissioning and delivery will be carried out by one of Vard’s shipyard in Norway. The Group’s high technology subsidiaries are involved in the project through deliveries of equipment and solutions. Vard is a part of the Fincantieri Group.
