Orange Marine, a subsidiary of Orange, has announced the construction of two new cable ships. The construction of the new vessels has been awarded to the Sri Lankan shipyard Colombo Dockyard.
The two new vessels, which will be sister ships to the Sophie Germain launched in 2023, are expected to be delivered in 2028 and 2029. They will replace the Léon Thévenin (built 1983) and the Antonio Meucci (built 1987).
Once in service, the Orange group said it will operate a total of four maintenance ships in the region, in addition to its two specialised cable-laying ships and one survey ship.
The new ships will be primarily dedicated to submarine cable maintenance but will also be capable of laying connecting segments up to 1,000 kilometres long.
They will incorporate technologies intended to reduce fuel consumption and local emissions by 20 per cent compared to the current vessels, including a hybrid diesel-electric power system with backup batteries, Azimuth thrusters, and the ability to connect to shoreside electrical grids.
The ships will also be equipped with a remotely operated underwater robot (ROV) for cable inspection and burial.
Michaël Trabbia, CEO of Orange Wholesale, stated that this, "strategic investment...will be a key to ensuring the resilience and security of the global Internet."
Didier Dillard, President of Orange Marine, added that the, "aging of the cable ship fleet is a major concern for all players in the submarine cable industry" and that the newbuilds will provide the company with the "most modern fleet in the world".