WATCH: World’s largest cable-laying vessel launched
Jan De Nul has launched the Fleeming Jenkin, the world’s largest vessel for subsea cable laying, marking a major milestone in future marine construction for offshore renewables and grid connection projects.
The launch took place at the CMHI Haimen shipyard in China, where the dry dock was flooded to release the 215-metre vessel.
With a massive 28,000-tonne loading capacity, the Fleeming Jenkin will be able to install longer, heavier cables in ultra-deep waters up to 3,000 metres.
“The Fleeming Jenkin combines all the cable installation expertise we have built up over the past fifteen years,” said Wouter Vermeersch, director subsea cables offshore energy at Jan De Nul.
“The result is a vessel that operates very efficiently, reducing both the cost price and the ecological footprint of our projects.”
Technologically advanced
Fleeming Jenkin is an Ultra-Low Emission vessel (ULEv), meaning that 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 the vessel also meets the even stricter EURO VI emission limits.
In addition, the hybrid power plant on board the vessel 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.
Once operational in the second half of 2026, the vessel’s first mission will be to install more than 2,800 kilometres of subsea cables for TenneT’s 2GW offshore programme – a next-generation grid connection system linking renewable energy to onshore networks in the Netherlands and Germany.
At TenneT, each connection will be able to transmit up to two gigawatts – more than double the capacity of current systems.
As global demand for offshore renewables grows, investments in reliable subsea infrastructure are key.
Jan De Nul’s new vessel, along with its sister ship William Thomson, underscores the company’s commitment to sustainable marine construction and the efficient transmission of clean energy across Europe’s expanding offshore grid.
