Penta-Ocean Construction has inked an order for a cable laying vessel worth JPY 36.5bn ($243m), which the company touts to be the “world’s largest and most advanced cable layer”.
Singapore’s PaxOcean Group will build the vessel at its Batam yard.
Construction cost for the cable layer’s hull is JPY 31bn, while the trencher and work class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) will cost about JPY 5.5bn, according to a Penta-Ocean announcement.
This new cable layer is self-propelled and is mounted with two 5,000t cable carousels also known as cable storage, “enabling safe and efficient cable laying in the open sea with severe metocean conditions”.
The latest trencher for burying cables and work class ROV will come installed with the cable layer to ensure the vessel can efficiently perform cable burial work.
Delivery of the vessel is scheduled for February 2028 and it will begin operations in 2029.
According to Penta-Ocean, the cable layer will be 50-50 owned by a company subsidiary and Fuyo General Lease Co, while the trencher and work class ROV will be 65-35 owned by a company subsidiary and Kojimagumi Co.
Japanese ocean dredger company Kojimagumi will handle the operational management of the vessel.
The 14,000-dwt cable layer was designed by Norwegian firm Salt Ship Design and will be classed by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK).
“The cable layer is capable of laying and burying not only cables for bottom-fixed offshore wind turbines but also for floating-type offshore wind turbines, as well as submarine direct current power transmission cables,” Penta-Ocean said.
The company said it plans to expand its business from offshore wind turbine construction to power cable laying, was behind its decision to build the world’s largest and most advanced cable layer, as it eyes future offshore wind power construction in the Japanese exclusive economic zone and elsewhere.
Penta-Ocean said it expects the start of full-scale construction in what it terms “general sea areas” during Japan's 2028 fiscal year.
The company also said its strategy was in line with Japan’s focus on the development of bottom-fixed offshore wind power facilities in the port areas.
