Jan De Nul has launched the William Thomson, a subsea cable laying vessel currently under construction. The vessel is designed to support large-scale offshore grid and fibre optic cable installation. The vessel will be equipped with three cable carousels and a large hold for fibre optic cables, enabling the installation of up to four cables simultaneously. Two carousels are positioned on deck, with a third located below deck. The total cable-carrying capacity is 28,000 tonnes.
On the aft deck, the vessel features a chute and a cable-laying wheel. The chute, combined with tensioners, allows installation in shallow waters, while the cable-laying wheel supports operations at depths of up to 4,000 metres. The tensioners can manage cable tensions of up to 150 tonnes. The vessel is classified as an ultra-low emission vessel, with engines capable of operating on biofuel and green methanol.
The William Thomson is scheduled to become operational in the first half of 2027. Its first assignment will be within TenneT’s 2 GW offshore grid programme in the Netherlands and Germany. Under this programme, Jan De Nul will install more than 2,800 km of 525 kV direct current cables across four grid connections.
