Orange Marine Orders Two More Cable Laying and Repair Vessels from Vard
Norwegian ship designer and builder VARD has secured on order from France’s Orange Marine for two additional cable laying and repair vessels of the VARD 9 03 design, to be built at Colombo Dockyard in Sri Lanka.
The vessels will be based on the same design as CS Sophie Germain, delivered to Orange Marine in July 2023.
The order continues a long-standing collaboration between VARD and Orange Marine that began in 2012, when VARD was selected to design and construct the fiber optic cable laying and repair vessel Pierre de Fermat, based on the VARD 9 01 design.
VARD, part of Italy’s Fincantieri Group, has previously worked with Colombo Dockyard on cable layer projects, starting with KDDI Cable Infinity. The two newly ordered vessels will be the third and fourth VARD-designed cable layers built at the yard.
The VARD 9 03 design is tailored for maintenance of submarine fiber optic telecommunications cables, with emphasis on sea-keeping capability, low fuel consumption and operational efficiency.
VARD said it has now designed and/or built nine cable laying vessels and has five under construction, including the latest two units. The company has been expanding its portfolio in the power and telecom cable segment and developing in-house expertise in this market.
“We highly appreciate that the close cooperation between Orange Marine, Colombo Dockyard and VARD now result in another two vessel designs for the fiber optic cable ship segment. We are also proud of the strong portfolio we have established within cable laying vessel design.
“Our engineers are doing an outstanding job in developing new vessel solutions for this market segment, working closely with both ship owners and operators to ensure optimal functionality, efficiency and long-term value,” said Kjell Morten Urke, General Manager for Vard Design.
Orange Marine, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Orange Group, specializes in offshore work on submarine cables, including installation and maintenance of telecommunications, energy and hybrid cable systems.
