Nexans, Crowley to develop new cable laying barge

Cable installation specialist Nexans has formed a partnership with Crowley Wind Services to develop and operate a Jones Act-compliant cable laying barge.

The 300-foot (90-metre), US-flagged barge, will be built in Louisiana and tested in the US Gulf to Nexans' specifications. It will be crewed by American mariners under Crowley’s operation.

Crowley said the vessel will be used for laying and burying the subsea cables needed to deliver energy from offshore to the grid onshore.

The barge will be the first to have vertical injectors along with a dynamic positioning system and a multiple-anchor positioning system, which will allow for accurate and efficient cable placement even in challenging conditions.

The barge will also boast a 3,500-ton capacity carousel to lay and bury subsea cables using burial tools such as a vertical injector, a jet sled, or a jetting ROV, with the potential to be upgraded to 7,000 tons with two carousels for bundle cable lay and burial.

The barge will be positioned to support Equinor’s Empire Wind offshore wind farm for New York and can be configured to lay or repair cables for a range of other subsea applications.