Malaysian company looking to bypass global vessel shortage with new cable layer

A Malaysia-headquartered provider of marine services to the offshore oil & gas industry has made a move that brings it a step closer to the construction of a multi-purpose cable laying vessel (CLV).

Megamas Resources has signed a letter of intent (LoI) with German shipyard Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven to kick-start advanced discussions for the potential construction of the vessel, including options for a second one.

The Malaysian company said the move comes in response to the global shortage of specialized offshore vessels, supporting the renewable energy and subsea telecommunications sectors.

The project, done in partnership with Crewstone International Private Equity & Investments, will bring together Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven and Ulstein Design & Solutions to deliver the vessel.

The cable layer will comply with DNV’s Clean (Design) and Recyclable class notations, with the first unit expected to be delivered by the end of 2027.

To remind, it was reported at the end of 2023 that Ulstein Design & Solutions had secured a contract with Megamas Resources to deliver the conceptual design of a fuel-efficient cable laying and repair vessel.

It was then announced that the vessel would be 120 meters long with a beam of 23 meters, and would be able to accommodate 70 people, with a deadweight capacity of 8,000 tonnes, and to achieve a passage speed of 14 knots.