Walk-to-work vessel rebuilt as cable-laying ship for Japanese owner

Norway's Green Yard Kleven has completed conversion work on an existing offshore maintenance vessel to enable it to undertake cable laying and repair. The work on Vega II was carried out on behalf of the owner, Japanese telecommunications company NTT World Engineering Marine Corporation (NTTWEM).

The vessel was originally built for seismic survey duties but was later converted into a walk-to-work platform to support offshore wind farm operations. The latest rebuild ensures the vessel's suitability for laying and repair of fibre cables.

The conversion was completed in collaboration with naval architecture firm Marin Teknikk, which had also been responsible for design work on the vessel when it was originally built. Green Yard Kleven installed secondhand equipment and existing components wherever possible, and the company claims this resulted in a lower carbon footprint.

Green Yard Kleven added that the conversion work generated 4,500 tonnes fewer CO2 emissions compared to building a new vessel. To ensure functionality and reliability, all equipment and components that are to be reused were tested and reapproved. The only new equipment onboard is those used for cable-laying, which was supplied by Parkburn.

NTTWEM will operate Vega II under a charter contract for cable work in Asian waters. It will replace NTTWEM's earlier vessel Vega, which is now more than 40 years old.