Bluestone Wins Major Contract for Two New Cable-Laying Vessels

[By: The Bluestone Group]

The Bluestone Group has secured a contract for plan approval and site supervision of two new cutting-edge cable-laying vessels operated by Prysmian, who is a world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry and is leading the way in energy transition and digital transformation. The contract acquisition follows Prysmian’s announcement in December 2023 of a €350 million investment to expand its cable-laying vessel fleet to facilitate the global power grid upgrade for the energy transition.

The Bluestone Group is a trusted partner of Prysmian and is supervising the construction of another cable-laying vessel, Monna Lisa for the company. The two new cable-laying vessels, the first of which is under construction and the second under design, will reinforce Prysmian’s submarine project execution capabilities.

The first vessel, which will be an evolution of Prysmian’s preceding vessel, Monna Lisa, is being built by the VARD Group, a subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group, one of the world leaders in the design and construction of specialised vessels for the offshore market. With a length of approximately 190 metres and a breadth of about 34 metres, the new vessel will be equipped with three carousels and feature advanced cable installation solutions, positioning itself among the highest cable-loading capacity vessels in the market with more than 19000 tons of cable.

The vessel will be operational by the beginning of 2027.

The second vessel will be an evolution of Prysmian’s Ulisse class, with a length of approximately 167 metres and a breadth of about 40 metres and will be equipped with carousels for a total cable loading capacity of 10,000 tonnes. The state-of-the-art DP2 positioning, seakeeping systems, and an eight-point mooring system will enable the ship to meet its operating capabilities in shallow-water cable laying and burial installation, even in harsh environmental conditions. The vessel will be operational by the first half of 2025.

Both vessels will have outstanding green credentials. They will be equipped with high voltage shore connection systems to power them with clean energy during loading operations, diesel generators suitable for biodiesel blends, and battery hybrid systems only for the deep-water-vessel, due to its specific activity.

Bluestone will deploy two site teams for site supervision, a dedicated plan approval desk with subject matter experts and project management resources from the head office in Monaco.

Plan approval and construction supervision will use the company’s proprietary software which gives owners greater control during the project and improves the way the site team engages with owners and the shipyard on plan approval and on-field inspections.

Bluestone director Matteo Di Maio said, "We are honoured by the confidence once again placed in us by Prysmian. This latest project is an opportunity for us to engage with a state-of-the-art asset crafted by a globally renowned shipyard and Bluestone eagerly anticipates drawing upon our extensive experience in newbuilding supervision and offshore renewables. Our commitment to excellence drives us to continually enhance our team and software, enriching our newbuilding supervision services for our valued clients."