Largest Hybrid-Powered Submarine Cable Laying Vessel Ever Built For Japan Delivered

Romanian shipyard Vard Tulcea built ‘Discovery’, the largest hybrid-powered submarine cable-laying vessel ever constructed for Japan. It was delivered to the Japanese construction company Toyo Construction.

This is the first ship that the shipyard has ever delivered to Japan for the offshore wind sector. It will play a major role in deploying submarine power cables linking offshore wind farms to help meet the country’s goal of installing 10 GW of offshore wind capacity in its territorial waters.

After the hull was completed and launched at Vard Tulcea, the ship was then towed to Vard’s Langsten facility in Norway for final outfitting and installation of its operational systems.

The ship is 150.1 m long and 28 m wide with a displacement of 19,000 tonnes. It has a 400-tonne main crane and a 100-tonne auxiliary crane, offering the heavy-lifting capabilities needed for complex offshore installation projects.

It has two massive cable carousels with a combined capacity of 9000 tonnes, one capable of handling 4000 tonnes of cable and another 5000 tonnes, allowing it to install long stretches of submarine power cables with precision and efficiency.

The project is expected to have cost over $200 million, which shows the increasing demand for specialised ships supporting the global transition to renewable energy.

Vard Tulcea and Vard Brăila are part of the Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest shipbuilders.

The company announced recently that it was acquiring 4 Italian firms which specialise in unmanned marine systems and underwater tech, with an initial investment of around
€600 million.