Kongsberg Maritime to Equip 13,000 Tonne Cable Layer in Fifth Vessel Deal in a Year

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OSLO Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime has secured a contract to deliver an integrated technology package for a new ultra large cable laying vessel being built for South Korea’s LS Marine Solution, marking the company’s fifth such award in the past 12 months.

The vessel, under construction at Turkey’s Tersan Shipyard, will have a cable carrying capacity of 13,000 tonnes and a total displacement of 18,800 tonnes, positioning it among the world’s top five cable layers by loading capacity and the largest dedicated high voltage direct current installation vessel in Asia. The contract value was not disclosed.

Kongsberg Maritime will supply K Pos dynamic positioning systems, integrated control and navigation systems, a battery hybrid DC electrical system, and all main propulsion and thruster units for the 148.4 metre long vessel.

The propulsion package features permanent magnet motors on all azimuth thrusters, which the company said improves positioning accuracy and efficiency during cable laying operations. The battery hybrid system reduces the number of engines needed during operations and enables zero emission operations during port stays through a high capacity shore connection.

Leszek Kopec, Senior Sales Manager at Kongsberg Maritime, said the company worked closely with the owner, designer and shipyard to reduce capital and operational expenditures, space, weight and emissions while maintaining vessel operability.

“This project reflects Kongsberg Maritime’s consistent commitment to applying our in house domain knowledge of cable lay operations to optimize marine systems and mission system integration,” Kopec said.

The vessel’s design supports mobilization of the company’s remote cable pull in systems for floating offshore wind farms, enabling pull in and hang off operations of dynamic cables without personnel transfer or crane based equipment handling.

LS Marine Solution, a subsidiary of South Korea’s LS Group, placed the order with Tersan Shipyard in late June 2025, representing an investment of approximately EUR 221 million. The vessel was designed by Norwegian firm Salt Ship Design.

The cable layer is being built to strengthen LS Marine Solution’s technological capabilities for South Korea’s West Coast High Voltage Direct Current Energy Highway project. According to the company when announcing the investment, the new vessel is the only alternative among domestic ships capable of long distance continuous cable laying for the national grid initiative.

LS Group has positioned the vessel as part of a broader strategy to provide integrated power solutions addressing electricity demand growth from artificial intelligence and data centers. The company aims to offer turnkey services covering both submarine cable production and installation.

The vessel is scheduled for delivery in approximately three years, with operations expected to commence in 2028.