Offshore

Offshore Vessel News Roundup | May 1 – European and Japanese cable layers, windfarm SOV and trenching vessel construction

Baird Maritime

Cable laying vessels are under construction in Norway, Romania, and Indonesia while a new windfarm support vessel has been delivered to a Singaporean owner. Work continues on a subsea trenching vessel ordered by a European installation specialist.

Nexans christens new cable laying vessel

Nexans Electra's christening ceremony, April 29, 2026

Nexans has formally named its newest cable laying vessel in a ceremony at the facilities of Norwegian shipbuilder Ulstein Verft.

Nexans Electra features a split turntable on deck capable of holding up to 10,000 tonnes of cable, an under-deck turntable with a 3,500-tonne cable capacity, and a fibre optic tank with a 450-tonne capacity.

The vessel measures 155.2 by 31 metres and is equipped for transport and installation of large volumes of HVDC and HVAC cable systems, as well as complex subsea construction tasks in deep waters.

Keel laid for Penta-Ocean Construction's new cable laying vessel

Keel-laying ceremony for Penta-Ocean Construction's new cable laying vessel

Singapore shipbuilder PaxOcean has laid the keel of a new inter-array cable laying vessel ordered by Japan's Penta-Ocean Construction.

The vessel will be designed by Norwegian naval architecture firm Salt Ship Design in compliance with ClassNK requirements.

Upon completion, the vessel will feature advanced capabilities to facilitate cable laying and burial for bottom-fixed and floating offshore wind farms, as well as submarine direct current transmission cables.

Cyan Renewables christens new offshore wind SOV

Cyan Wind Seeker's christening at Vard Vung Tau, Vietnam, April 22, 2026

Singapore-based Cyan Renewables has formally named its newest service operation vessel (SOV).

Cyan Wind Seeker was built by Vard Vung Tau in Vietnam and delivered ahead of schedule, according to Cyan Renewables. She will commence operations immediately under a 15-year charter supporting Siemens Gamesa’s offshore wind activities for the Hai Long offshore wind project in Taiwan.

Designed to meet the demanding requirements of offshore wind operations, the SOV is an advanced, environmentally friendly support vessel optimised for seakeeping, station keeping, fuel efficiency, safety and crew welfare.

Jan De Nul unveils name of new trenching support vessel

Rendering of Jan De Nul's trenching support vessel Isambard K. Brunel

Jan De Nul has confirmed that its newest trenching support vessel will be named Isambard K. Brunel after a famed British engineer from the 19th century.

The vessel will be one of two large platforms that will be used for the installation of subsea cables, complementing Jan De Nul's cable laying vessels Fleeming Jenkin and William Thomson.

Isambard K. Brunel was designed by Norway's Ulstein Design and Solutions and will be built by China Merchants Heavy Industry.

NKT's future methanol-fuelled cable vessel launched in Romania

NKT Eleonora

Vard Braila in Romania recently launched a new cable laying vessel ordered by Danish cable installation specialist NKT.

NKT Eleonora is named in honour of Danish-born Ulrika Eleonora, who reigned as Queen of Sweden and then Queen Consort between 1718 and 1741.

Upon completion, the vessel will have a length of 176 metres, a beam of 32 metres, dual-fuel engines that can run on either methanol or diesel/HVO.