Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) won approval in principle from the classification society classNK for the design concept of a cable-laying vessel. The vessel will contribute to the construction of a long-distance subsea direct current transmission network in Japan.
NYK in cooperation with Sumitomo Electric is developing the basic technology for cable-laying vessels that will contribute to the development of a domestic direct current subsea transmission network.
Since suitable locations for wind-power generation, such as Hokkaido, are far from areas of major electricity demand, developing a power transmission network is crucial to increase the amount of electricity generated in the future.
One of the solutions to this issue is the construction of a long-distance subsea DC transmission network using cable-laying vessels.
As part of a four-company consortium with Sumitomo Electric, Furukawa Electric, and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, NYK has been participating in projects subsidized by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) which are focused, among others, on the development of new cable-laying vessels.
NYK will proceed with the detailed vessel design with the aim to obtain basic design approval from ClassNK.
