Malaysia's Megamas Resources selects Norwegian firm to design new cable layer

Malaysian operator Megamas Resources has selected Ulstein Design and Solutions of Norway to design a new cable laying vessel.

The vessel will be optimised for installation of fibre-optic cables and will be built at the Bremerhaven facilities of German shipyard Lloyd Werft.

The completed vessel will have a deadweight of 8,200 and a cable capacity of 5,500 tonnes. Measuring 121.7 by 23 metres, the vessel will also be prepared for future power cable operations with an underdeck carousel integrated into the cable tanks.

Ulstein said the vessel will be equipped with two firing lines and all necessary cable handling equipment within an enclosed working area, thus ensuring safe and efficient operations in challenging offshore environments.

Additional features will include a remotely operated vehicle hangar for the cable trencher and a 50-tonne A-frame. The vessel will also have a bollard pull of up to 120 tonnes for subsea ploughing.

Tiew Sien Kheng, Managing Partner at Megamas, said that the vessel, "will play a key role in supporting both the renewable energy and subsea telecommunications industries."