Built for LS Marine Solutions at Tersan Shipyard in Türkiye, the 148.4-meter ultra-large cable layer will carry 13,000 tonnes of cable and is due to enter operation in 2028
The Vessel and Its Mission
Kongsberg Maritime has been selected to deliver a fully integrated equipment and technology package for a next-generation ultra-large cable lay vessel being constructed for LS Marine Solutions at Tersan Shipyard in Türkiye. When complete, the vessel will rank among the world’s largest cable layers — purpose-built to address the surging global demand for subsea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) and optical cable installation, a market being driven primarily by offshore wind farm development and long-distance interconnector projects.
The vessel’s specifications reflect that ambition: 148.4 metres in length, 31 metres in beam, a cable carrying capacity of 13,000 tonnes, and a total displacement of 18,800 tonnes. Construction at Tersan is expected to take approximately three years, with the vessel planned to enter commercial operation in 2028.
Kongsberg’s Integrated Package
Kongsberg Maritime’s scope of supply is extensive and fully integrated. It covers K-Pos dynamic positioning systems, integrated control and navigation systems, a battery hybrid DC electrical system, and all main propulsion and thruster units — with permanent magnet motors installed on all azimuth thrusters to enhance positioning accuracy and minimise energy consumption.
The battery hybrid DC power configuration is specifically designed to reduce the number of engines required during normal operations. A high-capacity shore connection — supported by the battery system and Kongsberg’s proprietary Energy Control System — enables zero-emission operations during port stays and cable loading activities, addressing two of the most energy-intensive phases of a cable layer’s working schedule.
Floating Wind and Remote Operations
The vessel’s design also supports mobilisation of Kongsberg Maritime’s innovative Remote Cable Pull-In systems for floating wind farms. This capability allows pull-in and hang-off operations for dynamic cables without personnel transfer or crane-based equipment handling — a significant operational and safety advantage as the industry moves toward more remote and complex floating wind installations.
For Kongsberg Maritime, the contract represents its fifth fully integrated system award for a cable lay vessel in the past twelve months. That pace of contracting reflects both the growing scale of subsea energy infrastructure investment and Kongsberg’s consolidating position as the integrator of choice for technically demanding special-purpose vessels.
The Waterline Report
Five integrated cable layer awards in twelve months is not a coincidence — it is a market signal. The subsea cable installation sector is entering a period of sustained fleet expansion driven by offshore wind and intercontinental HVDC grids, and the window for shipyards and technology providers to establish themselves is now. Kongsberg’s approach — optimising CAPEX, OPEX, space, weight, and emissions simultaneously — is exactly the kind of systems thinking that complex vessels like this demand.