VESSEL REVIEW | Oceanus 1 – Taiwan's Co-Asia Marine Technology acquires cable layer with 8,000-tonne capacity

The 8,000-tonne cable laying vessel Oceanus 1 has entered service for Taiwan's Co-Asia Marine Technology following completion at Pacific Shipbuilding in Hai Phong, Vietnam, on August 7, 2026.

Suyang, which manufactured the vessel's 30-metre (100-foot) diameter carousel, said the vessel was, "specially designed for the Taiwan region, which conforms to the special hydrology and weather of the Taiwan Strait," and that on completion it would, "become the first cable-laying vessel designed in Taiwan."

Oceanus 1 has an LOA of 113.23 metres (371.49 feet), a length between perpendiculars of 108 metres (354 feet), a moulded beam of 3.4 metres (11 feet), and a moulded depth of 7.8 metres (26 feet).

Design deadweight is 9,671 on a displacement of 16,750.3 tonnes, and the calculated freeboard is 2,618 mm. Registered gross tonnage is 9,838 and net tonnage is 2,951.

Dynamic positioning helping ensure shorter project durations

Accommodation is arranged for 77 people, comprising 19 crew and 58 service personnel. The vessel is classed with the notations ✠A1, Offshore Support Vessel (Cable Lay)(SPS), Ⓔ, ✠AMS, ✠DPS-2 and CPS, with additional notations BWT, CRC(HC, OC-PL) and IHM.

Oceanus 1 is dual-classed by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Taiwan's CR Classification Society.

For regulatory purposes the vessel is categorized as a cargo ship under SOLAS and as a ship other than an oil tanker carrying oil under MARPOL. It is not certified to carry heavy grade oil and is not enrolled in the Condition Assessment Scheme.

The DPS-2 notation confirms a dynamic positioning system with redundancy to hold station after a single fault, the standard specification for vessels laying cable in the vicinity of offshore wind foundations and other fixed structures.

Propulsion and tank capacities configured for heavy duty use

Propulsion for the vessel comprises three azimuthing electric-drive thrusters supplied from six Cummins QSK50-M diesel generators.

Each QSK50-M is a four-stroke, 16-cylinder unit with a 159 mm bore and 159 mm stroke, rated at 1,628 kW at 1,800 rpm. That gives an installed power of just under 9,800 kW across the six gensets.

Tank capacities recorded by ABS include 1,485 cubic metres (326,700 gallons) of diesel, 5,496.6 cubic metres (1.209 million gallons) of ballast, 301.6 cubic metres (66,340 gallons) of freshwater, and 35.9 cubic metres (7,900 gallons) of lube oil, along with 631.14 cubic metres (138,830 gallons) of other capacity.

With 58 service personnel berths, Oceanus 1 is equipped to carry a full cable installation and survey team in addition to its marine crew.