On 15 October 2019, Nexans hosted the grand block ceremony that represented a key step in the construction of its ground-breaking cable installation vessel, the ‘Nexans Aurora’. The vessel’s hull is currently being built at the CRIST shipyard in Poland. It will be completed at Ulstein Verft in Norway, with delivery planned for 2021, the company said in its release.
The grand blocks are the major components in the construction of the hull. They are being assembled at CRIST, in the Polish port of Gdynia. Representatives from Nexans, the shipbuilders, the ship designer and other project partners were present at the celebration.
The Aurora design is based on the combined experience of Nexans, Skipsteknisk, Ulstein Verft and MAATS Tech, each world leadiers in their own fields. The aim is to produce a subsea cable and umbilical systems installation vessel for worldwide operations, covering the full range of shallow and deep subsea activities.
Nexans Aurora builds on over a century of Nexans’ experience in submarine cable installation to bring cable installation to the next level in terms of capacity and capability.
With a 10, 000 ton capacity, split turntable, and a world leading vessel design, Aurora is well prepared for complex construction tasks in severe weather conditions anywhere in the world.
The DP3 cable laying vessel represents a next step in offshore renewables with high manoeuvrability and station keeping capabilities. She will be outfitted for power cable laying, including bundle laying, cable jointing and repair and cable system protection and trenching.
The vessel will play a vital role in installation of Nexans’ cutting-edge high voltage (HV) submarine cables that will bring more energy to the world, helping connect offshore wind farms to the grid, supporting electrification of offshore oil and gas installations and creating interconnectors between countries.