China’s Largest Self-Propelled All-Electric Deep-Sea Cable-Laying Vessel Launched

China has launched the country’s largest self-propelled all-electric deep-sea cable-laying vessel, Blue Sea Navigator. The vessel was launched on Tuesday in Jiangsu province.

It was designed by the Marine Design and Research Institute of China, a Shanghai-based subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), and is being built by Qidong Xiangyu Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering.

In shipbuilding, a launch marks the stage when a nearly completed vessel is moved into the water after its main structure has been finished. The vessel will now undergo the remaining construction work before entering service.

Once commissioned, Blue Sea Navigator will install high-voltage submarine cables for China’s deep-sea offshore wind farms and lay intercontinental submarine power cables, according to its designers.

The vessel is 139.8 metres long and 38 metres wide, with a full-load displacement of 35,000 tonnes. It can carry up to 16,000 tonnes of cable, making it the largest cable-carrying vessel of its kind in China.

It is equipped with DP-2 dynamic positioning, allowing it to operate in unlimited navigation areas, and can work at water depths of up to 3,000 metres.

According to the Marine Design and Research Institute of China, Blue Sea Navigator has the strongest wind and wave resistance and the most advanced deep-sea operating capability among China’s self-propelled cable-laying vessels. The institute also said the ship is expected to rank among the world’s most advanced vessels of its type.

The vessel is fitted with a cable-laying system featuring the latest coaxial dual cable reels with inner and outer drums. The system can lay conventional alternating-current submarine power cables and next-generation flexible direct-current cables at the same time.

The designers said the vessel is competitive with similar international cable-laying ships in terms of maximum cable-carrying capacity on a single voyage, fuel consumption during cable-laying operations and overall operating efficiency.

Li Chang’an, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, said the launch was an important step toward the vessel’s delivery and operation.

He said that once the vessel enters service, it will strengthen China’s engineering capabilities in marine renewable energy and offshore power infrastructure. Li also said its pure-electric propulsion system shows the growing use of new-energy technology in the shipbuilding industry.

China’s shipbuilding sector continues to grow. In the first half of the year, the country’s new ship orders, vessel completions and order backlog increased by 105.2%, 34.8% and 37.1% year-on-year, accounting for 73.9%, 55.4% and 63.3% of the global market, respectively.

During the same period, China delivered more than 40 high-end vessels, including container ships with capacities exceeding 10,000 TEU, very large crude carriers and large liquefied natural gas carriers. Chinese shipyards are also operating at full capacity, with some yards reporting order books extending beyond 2029.

Li said China’s shipbuilding industry has continued to strengthen its position in the global market through technological innovation. He added that new orders for green-powered ships have consistently accounted for a significant share of the global market and that the continued delivery of pure electric-driven vessels would help reduce carbon emissions from shipping while supporting global greenhouse gas reduction efforts.

Blue Sea Navigator will complete the remaining stages of construction before beginning operations on offshore wind and submarine power cable installation projects.

References: Global Times, China Daily