Jan De Nul has launched its newest cable-laying vessel: the ‘Fleeming Jenkin’, which will be used to install subsea cables for the transmission of renewable energy.
The vessel has a loading capacity of 28,000t, 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.
Wouter Vermeersch, Director Subsea Cables Offshore Energy, Jan De Nul, said: “The Fleeming Jenkin combines all the cable installation expertise we have built up over the past 15 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.”
The vessel is designed as an ultra-low emission vessel (ULEv), with an advanced dual exhaust filter system which removes up to 99% of nanoparticles from emissions using a diesel particulate filter and a NOx reduction system. The system 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.
A hybrid power plant 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 optimized engine loading.
Once operational, the Fleeming Jenkin will be employed on the 2GW Program by TenneT, the grid operator for the Netherlands and large parts of Germany. Fleeming Jenkin will install export cables on four 2GW connections, bundling and laying four cables together. This results in a total of more than 2,800km of cable being installed over a distance of more than 700km.
Image: launch of ‘Fleeming Jenkin’ cable ship for Jan de Nul (source: Jan de Nul)
