Senior representatives of Maersk supply service, DeepOceak UK and the Damen shipyards group gathered at Damen shipyards Galati in Romania earlier this week to launch the 'Maersk Connector', a subsea support vessel that, while owned and operated by Maersk, is contracted for a seven-year charter agreement with DeepOcean.
'Maersk Connector' is the second of a new generation of cable-laying vessels developed by Damen. The 7,000-tonne carousel makes the vessel well suited to installation and burial projects from land-fall to deep water as well as for operations in remote geographical locations.
"This new vessel will be a critical part of our growth strategy, delivering production efficiencies that will contribute to the lowering of costs in the offshore wind sector. In particular it will play an important part in the roll-out of the next generation of interconnectors that will contribute so much towards maintaining the UK's energy security and lowering the wholesale cost of electricity," said Pierre Boyde, Commercial Director at DeepOcean.
Developed as a flexible platform for both transport and installation work offshore, the vessel is 138 metres in length and has a beam of 27.5 metres. The 'Maersk Connector' has 2,200 square metres of unobstructed deck with a loading capacity of 20 tonnes per square metre and Ro-Ro capability. Designed top speed is 12 knots.
Following the launch, installation is getting underway on the helideck, cranes and bridge, as well as the fitting-out of the interior. Sea trials are expected to commence by the end of this year.
The vessel is expected to be delivered in February 2016.
