U.K. based cable company XLCC announced it has completed model testing on its new cable laying vessel (CLV) in the Netherlands.
XLCC has partnered closely with the vessel designer Salt Ship Design, who has planned the vessel from conception using 3D engineering software.
XLCC also partnered with SeaTec, the technical services division of global ship management company V.Group. SeaTec was appointed to develop the initial statement of requirements and has continued to support XLCC through concept design and model testing.
The new vessel will make extensive use of battery energy storage systems and shore power to reduce fuel consumption and has been designed with methanol as a fuel once operational.
Planned delivery in the first half of 2025, the newbuild is slated to support the Morocco – UK Power Project, XLCC's first client project, through the delivery of four 3,800km subsea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables from a wind and solar generation site in Morocco to the U.K.
In addition to being one of the largest CLVs in the world, the new vessel has been designed to manage all aspects of cable handling – from protecting the quality and integrity of the cable during export from the factory, through to the installation location on the seabed. The CLV will have the capability to deploy the cables individually or in a bundled pair configuration.
Alan Mathers, Project Director of XLCC, said, “We welcome the news that the CLV has completed model testing. This is an important milestone for us, and it shows our commitment to the project at hand. We want to build something the industry has not yet seen before, to innovate efficiently through the waters of sustainable energy supply and to be on the front foot of our industry. We believe this vessel puts us a step closer to that goal.”
Tor Henning Vestbøstad, Sales Director of Salt Ship Design, said, “We are very happy to report the XLCC CLV underwent successful model testing. This is always a crucial point in designing a ship of this kind. Considering the cost and rigorous testing the vessel must come under, it is exceptional to see XLCC undertake this and highlights the progress the company is making in its goal of providing crucial energy supply to the U.K. grid.”
Elliot Gow, CEO of Marine Services at V.Group, said, “The SeaTec team harnessed a broad range of technical expertise and experience to aid XLCC in developing an effective and sustainable industry-leading vessel. We remain committed to upholding the high standards required in delivering a vessel of this scale and will work tirelessly to aid XLCC in its pursuit of building a CLV that will revolutionize the HVDC cable laying industry for years to come.”