Cable Lay Barge (c) Crowley.
Longitude, the engineering, design and analysis arm of global consultancy ABL Group, is proud to have supported global cables and electrification solutions provider Nexans in the conversion of a first-of-its-kind Jones Act-compliant cable lay barge.
Constructed in Louisiana, USA, the 300-foot US-flagged barge features a 3,500-ton capacity carousel for laying and burying subsea cables using advanced burial tools such as a vertical injector, jet sled, or jetting ROV.
The vessel has the potential to be upgraded to a 7,000-ton capacity with dual carousels for bundled cable lay and burial.
It is the first cable lay barge to integrate vertical injectors alongside both a dynamic positioning (DP) system and a multiple anchor positioning system, enabling precise and efficient cable placement even in challenging environmental conditions.
Longitude via its USA team, was selected to support Nexans with offshore mobilization engineering for the vertical injector conversion. The vessel will be deployed in the construction of a project off the coast of New York.
“We are pleased to have supported this project with our track record in mobilization engineering for a vertical injector lay spread – still a relatively unique design in the market. It’s also a privilege to contribute to a vessel that will play such a critical role in future US grid transmission infrastructure.”
Austin Young, Senior Structural Engineer, Longitude Houston
Longitude’s scope of work included engineering for the barge mobilization for surface cable lay, mobilization of multiple winches, re-routing of the cable trackway, and updates to vessel systems.
The project required a multidisciplinary team of naval architects, marine and structural engineers, draftsmen, and project managers. Longitude also leveraged its global footprint to mobilize resources from around the world, in order to meet Nexans schedule for the barge mobilization.
Nexans recently announced a partnership with US shipping and logistics company Crowley Wind Services to develop and operate the cable lay barge.
For more information on Nexans and Crowley Wind Services’ partnership, visit: Nexans and Crowley Wind Services Partner to Develop and Operate First-of-its-Kind Cable Lay Barge | Crowley
