Jan De Nul has launched its newest cable-laying vessel: the Fleeming Jenkin. It will install subsea cables for the transmission of renewable energy. The vessel has a loading capacity of 28,000 tonnes, making it the world’s largest of its kind. Delivery is scheduled for the second half of 2026.
The launch took place by flooding the dry dock at the CMHI Haimen shipyard in China. The final vessel construction phase now begins, including sea trials.
With a loading capacity of 28,000 tonnes and a length of 215 metres, the Fleeming Jenkin is the largest cable-laying vessel in the world. It is specifically designed to install longer and heavier cables in ultra-deep waters up to 3000 metres. Besides the Fleeming Jenkin, Jan De Nul is also building a second cable-laying vessel, the identical sister vessel William Thomson.
Wouter Vermeersch, Director Subsea Cables Offshore Energy at Jan De Nul: ‘The Fleeming Jenkin combines all the cable installation expertise we have built up over the past fifteen years. The entire vessel and the technologies on board were designed by our in-house specialists. The result is a vessel that operates very efficiently, reducing both the cost price and the ecological footprint of our projects.’
Also read: Jan De Nul to install monopiles for major Scottish wind farm
2800 km of subsea cables for TenneT
Once operational, the Fleeming Jenkin will immediately start its first assignment: the 2GW Program by TenneT, the grid operator for the Netherlands and large parts of Germany. This 2GW Program introduces a new generation of offshore grid connection systems that can each transmit up to 2 GW. This is more than double the capacity of existing connections, usually between 700 and 900 MW.
For comparison, an average nuclear power plant typically generates between 1 and 1.6 GW. Fleeming Jenkin will install export cables on four of these 2GW connections, bundling and laying four cables together. This results in a total of more than 2800 km of cable being installed over a distance of more than 700 km.
Also read: Jan De Nul reveals name of Fleeming Jenkin’s sister vessel
About The Fleeming Jenkin
The Fleeming Jenkin will be equipped with three cable carousels and a large hold for fibre optic cables, capable of laying up to four cables simultaneously. Two carousels are mounted on deck, with a third below deck. The combined cable-carrying capacity amounts to 28,000 tonnes, which is double the capacity of any other cable-laying vessel currently on the market.
On the aft deck, the vessel is equipped with a chute and a cable-laying wheel. In combination with the tensioners, the chute allows installation of cables in shallow waters, while the cable-laying wheel makes installation at great depths more efficient. The tensioners enable the vessel to handle and control cable tensions up to 150 tonnes – the weight of the Statue of Liberty.
Also read: Jan De Nul to build deep-water port in Senegal
Green technologies
The vessel is an Ultra-Low Emission vessel (ULEv). ULEv is a highly advanced dual exhaust filter system which removes up to 99 per cent of nanoparticles from emissions using a diesel particulate filter and a reduction system for nitrogen oxides (NOx). The system also significantly reduces exhaust gas pollutants. The engines of the vessel can run on biofuel and green methanol, reducing CO2 emissions.
Thanks to the ULEv system, the vessel complies with the strict European Stage V emission standards for inland waterway vessels. Moreover, the NOx emissions are reduced to such an extent that this vessel meets the even stricter EURO VI emission limits.
The hybrid power plant on board also contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions and optimal fuel usage. It combines the generators with a 2.5 MWh battery and drive technology, designed for peak shaving, load smoothing, spinning reserve and optimised engine loading.
New rock installation vessel
Last week, Jan De Nul also announced a new vessel to protect subsea cables: the George W. Goethals. Due to their strategic importance, these cables can be a target for sabotage. The new vessel protects the cables with large rocks at a depth of up to 400 metres. It is Jan De Nul’s third rock installation vessel capable of transporting more than 30,000 tonnes of material.
Picture by Jan De Nul.
Also read: Jan De Nul orders largest rock installation vessel to date
