Cable layers ordered for surge in telecomms

The order, says OMS, is in answer to a surging demand for telecommunications equipment and a growing need for ‘resilient global connectivity’.

“Upon completion, the vessels will help address the urgent and growing need for modern, efficient solutions to keep pace with the rising demands of global connectivity,” says OMS Group. “The vessels, which are designed with sustainability in mind, will enable OMS to deliver more efficient and sustainable solutions for their clients.”

OMS Group is head-quartered in Malaysia, and says the new vessels will strengthen its operations worldwide so it can call itself a ‘key global player’ in subsea telecommunications, founder and chairman Datuk Lim Soon Foo said.

“Subsea cable installation is an important element of our wide range of maritime solutions,” said Royal IHC COO Bert Jan ter Riet. “We are excited to provide innovative technologies that empower OMS Group to build and maintain the critical infrastructure for a connected world, while ensuring top performance and dependability.”

The first vessel, with a delivery estimate of the first quarter of 2027, will be 130m x 22m and have a cable capacity of 6,500 tonnes.

Neither company has said how many vessels will be delivered in total.

Royal IHC appears to be strengthening ties with Asian firms, signing an agreement in July to work with Vietnamese shipyard Nam Trieu in building a trailing suction hopper dredger for dredging firm De Boer-Dutch Dredging.

“We build both in the Netherlands and in the Far East,” said CEO Derk te Bokkel. “In Vietnam we can build to the same quality level with lower labour and energy costs. And our yards in Krimpen and Kinderdijk allow us to build much more quickly. When we have discussions with large customers about projects, they should have a choice.”