Hull assembly starts for Asso.subsea’s new cable layer as keel is laid

April 14, 2026, by Nadja Skopljak

China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) has held the keel laying ceremony for Asso.subsea’s new cable-laying vessel (CLV), marking the start of the vessel’s assembly.

The keel laying ceremony was held on April 9 at CMHI’s shipyard on Mazhou Island, Shenzhen, some five months after the start of construction of the CLV Althea, announced on November 5, 2025.

Asso.subsea’s Executive Director of Marine Technology, Ioannis Togias, said: “As we mark the keel laying of Althea, we take a decisive step forward in strengthening our fleet and technical capabilities. This vessel reflects our long-term vision to meet the evolving demands of the offshore energy market with reliability and precision.”

Althea will have a 12,000-ton cable capacity in one, two, or three carousel divisions, designed for long sections and bundled cable laying. It will be equipped with a hybrid diesel and battery power generation plant, methanol-ready engines capable of running on bio-fuels and complying with IMO Tier III NOx emission standards, cold ironing capabilities and a number of energy-saving features.

Delivery is expected next year. Once delivered, the vessel will join Ariadne and Atalanti in Asso.subsea’s cable-laying fleet.