Jan De Nul is expanding its fleet for the installation and protection of subsea energy cables. In March, the company announced the order of the Isambard K. Brunel, a trenching support vessel designed to bury cables in the seabed. A sister vessel, an exact copy of the Isambard K. Brunel, has now been ordered.
With the latest order, Jan De Nul has five vessels under construction for the installation and protection of subsea energy cables. These include two XL cable-laying vessels, an XL rock installation vessel and two trenching support vessels.
The new vessel will be equipped with ULEv (Ultra-Low Emission vessel) technology, which filters up to 99% of nanoparticles from exhaust gases. Its engines can run on biofuel, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and are prepared for future operation on methanol.
The Isambard K. Brunel and its sister vessel are equipped with a trencher, a subsea robot used to bury cables in the seabed. The robots are operated by the crew from the vessel's deck and can bury cables at depths of up to five metres.
Jan De Nul is also converting the Henry Darcy from a water injection dredger into a compact trenching support vessel. The converted vessel will carry the Crayfish subsea robot, which is designed for cable burial in shallow water.
