The “Leonardo da Vinci” vessel, built by the Norwegian company Vard at the shipyard in Tulcea, was used by the Prysmian group to install an electric cable on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, at the deepest depth ever reached in such operations.
This is an industry record installation: it is the first time an HVDC cable is installed at such a depth, setting new market standards, Prysmian says.
The cable will be used for the Tyrrhenian Link, a €1.7 billion project awarded in 2021 by Terna.Under the contract, Prysmian will design, supply and install a total of more than 1,500 km of submarine cables to support energy exchange between Sardinia, Sicily and Campania, thus strengthening the Mediterranean energy hub.
The cable was laid on the seabed at this record depth by the vessel Leonardo da Vinci, which was built by the Norwegian company Vard at the shipyard in Tulcea, Romania. The vessel was ordered in 2018, delivered in 2021, and christened in June of that year. It is considered the most advanced submarine cable laying vessel in the world.
According to Prysmian, the vessel can be used for various projects, thanks to its installation capabilities at depths of over 3,000 meters, a maximum speed of slightly over 16 knots, as well as the two rotating platforms of 7,000 and 10,000 tons, which ensure the highest installation capacity from the market.
“Leonardo da Vinci is the most efficient submarine cable laying vessel in the world and will, from now on, support the Group’s long-term growth in the submarine cable laying business.” It will change the rules of the game and strengthen our leading position in the segment of interconnections and offshore wind farm connections”, said Valerio Battista, CEO of Prysmian Group three years ago, when he announced that he received the vessel from Vard.
The value of the contract for the construction of the vessel, including the special equipment provided, amounts to approximately EUR 170 million, Vard announced at the signing of the contract for the execution of the vessel.
With a length of 172 meters and a width of 34 meters, the ship can accommodate a crew of 120 people. Leonardo da Vinci was first used on the Viking Link project, the world’s longest HVDC cable at 1,250 km, connecting the UK to Denmark.
The post Romanian-Made Ship Sets a New World Record appeared first on The Romania Journal.
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