New vessel designed to transport and install large amounts of power cables for offshore energy.

The offshore service provider DeepOcean wanted a vessel to enable the connection of undersea cables in the North Sea. After considering whether to build and operate its own vessel, DeepOcean soon determined that it would be better served outsourcing such specific vessel operations and ownership to a specialist, trusted partner.

DeepOcean approached Maersk Supply Service, who agreed to build a vessel specifically designed to transport and install large volumes of HVAC and HVDC power cables. Working closely with DeepOcean to understand specific requirements, Maersk Supply Service assumed full responsibility for the new build project, which took place at Damen Shipyards Galati, Romania.

The vessel, Maersk Connector, was completed in February 2016 and is now underway with a seven-year charter with DeepOcean. Featuring a carousel capable of carrying 7,000 tonnes of power cables, Maersk Connector is available for the offshore interconnector and export cable markets as well as oil and gas projects.

Initially, she will be used to install subsea power cables connecting the North Sea countries with the interconnector grid. Her first major lay project was from Belgium to the UK in 2018.