Malaysian subsea installation specialist the OMS Group has selected Netherlands-based shipbuilder Royal IHC for the construction of a new series of vessels designed for fibre-optic cable installation.
The contract between OMS and Royal IHC also covers the delivery of a fibre-optic plough and a launch and recovery system (LARS).
The first vessel in the series is scheduled to be handed over to OMS in the first quarter of 2027. This will be operated along six other cable installation and repair vessels that comprise the current OMS fleet.
Upon completion, the vessel will have a length of 130 metres, a beam of 22 metres, a cable capacity of 6,500 tonnes, a bollard pull of over 100 tonnes, and the ability to bury cables at depths of 3.3 metres.
Each vessel in the series will feature an optimised hull design to enhance fuel efficiency. An energy storage system will enable the vessel to reduce reliance on its main engines and generators in supplying electrical power to the various onboard systems, thus reducing environmental impact.