The construction project of the cable lay vessel 'Nexans Aurora' has recently reached a new milestone, as the installation of the MAATS Tech equipment package including the carousel, loading arms, access tower and control cabin have now been completed.
All the abovementioned equipment are MAATS Tech Ltd deliveries, and employees from Maats have been working at the yard for several weeks for the installations and testing of the cable lay equipment.
The next milestone will be the heeling test. The 'Nexans Aurora' is due for delivery to Nexans this year, and her first assignments will be in the offshore wind segment.
On Tuesday, 24 March, a large-scale rescue exercise was carried out off the coast of Lofoten, Norway, testing a new emergency towing system for ships. The cruise vessel MS Spitsbergen, with 150 passengers on board, the Norwegian Coast Guard vessel KV Barentshav, and the 330 Squadron’s SAR Queen rescue helicopter took part.
How can you be confident that a new vessel design will actually perform in rough seas and demanding operations? The answer lies in thorough verification, independent testing and documented performance. Recently, a new Ulstein design for a cable-laying vessel was tested in a large-scale ocean basin at SINTEF Ocean. The results delivered exactly what Ulstein seeks: confidence that the design performs as intended.
On 11 March 2026, Ulstein Verft, Norway, delivered the Windea Carnot, a Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV). The vessel was built on behalf of an institutional investor and has now been handed over to its new owner, Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO).
