‘World’s Largest’ Cable Laying Vessel Launches, Sea Trials on Schedule

Jan De Nul has launched its first XL cable-laying vessel (CLV), Fleeming Jenkin, with the final vessel construction phase now starting, including sea trials.

Jan De Nul announced in October 2023 that it had placed an order for Fleeming Jenkin at China’s CMHI Haimen shipyard, followed by an order for another identical vessel, named William Thomson, last May, deemed the largest CLVs in the world.

It was reported on 21 October that Fleeming Jenkin had been launched by flooding the dry dock at the CMHI Haimen shipyard.

Once operational in the second half of 2026, the CLV will immediately start its first assignment for TenneT, where it will install export cables on four 2 GW offshore wind grid connections, bundling and laying four cables together. This represents over 2,800 kilometres of cable being installed over a distance of more than 700 kilometres.

Fleeming Jenkin will be equipped with three cable carousels and a large hold for fibre optic cables, capable of laying up to four cables simultaneously. Two carousels are mounted on deck, with a third below deck. The combined cable-carrying capacity amounts to 28,000 tonnes, double the capacity of any other CLV currently on the market.

It is an ultra-low emission vessel (ULEv) and will be able to run on biofuel and green methanol. The hybrid power plant on board also contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions and optimal fuel usage by combining the generators with a 2.5 MWh battery and drive technology.

“The Fleeming Jenkin combines all the cable installation expertise we have built up over the past fifteen years. The entire vessel and the technologies on board were designed by our in-house specialists. The result is a vessel that operates very efficiently, reducing both the cost price and the ecological footprint of our projects,” said Wouter Vermeersch, Director Subsea Cables Offshore Energy at Jan De Nul.

“The Fleeming Jenkin and her twin vessel William Thomson are the best vessels on the market for installing interconnection cables that connect energy grids over longer distances. These connections are crucial for building a reliable energy network based on renewable energy.”

Jan De Nul recently announced the order of a new subsea rock installation vessel (SRIV) in response to the growing global demand for the protection of underwater infrastructure, named George W. Goethals. It is the company’s third SRIV capable of transporting more than 30,000 tonnes of material.

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