LS Marine cable vessel enters construction in Türkiye

LS Marine Solution has moved its next-generation cable-laying vessel into construction at Tersan Shipyard in Türkiye, adding future installation capacity for long-distance HVDC and offshore wind grid projects.

The steel-cutting ceremony for the vessel took place on 6 July, with delivery expected in the first half of 2028. Designed by Norway’s Salt Ship Design, the vessel will measure 148.4 metres in length and 31 metres in width. It will have a cable loading capacity of 13,000 tonnes and total displacement of 18,800 tonnes.

Built under a contract signed with Tersan Shipyard in June 2025, the vessel represents an investment of approximately €221m. It is designed to lay HVDC submarine cables and fibre-optic cables, placing it in the specialist vessel class needed for offshore wind export systems, interconnectors, and long-distance subsea transmission.

Subsea cable installation has become one of the harder constraints in offshore energy infrastructure. Offshore wind farms require inter-array cables, export cables, offshore substations, and grid connection systems, while interconnectors require long routes, high installation precision, route clearance, burial, protection, and jointing. HVDC projects add further demands through converter station interfaces, cable thermal ratings, electrical losses, and strict quality control during manufacturing and laying.

A 13,000-tonne cable capacity can reduce the number of voyages and joints required on long routes. Fewer joints can reduce offshore operation time and installation risk, although route conditions, cable design, weather windows, vessel availability, port access, and burial requirements still determine the final programme.

Transmission investment is already moving capital toward the offshore grid chain, including Amprion’s expanded €6.5bn green credit facility for high-voltage reinforcement and offshore connections in Germany. Those programmes create demand not only for cables and substations, but for the marine assets capable of placing high-voltage systems on the seabed.

Offshore transmission is no longer a specialist marine activity sitting outside the main power sector. It is part of national grid planning, renewable capacity auctions, industrial policy, port investment, cable factory expansion, and high-voltage equipment supply. Cable-laying vessels have become core electrical infrastructure assets.

Global demand is tightening the vessel market. Europe, Asia, and North America are all developing offshore wind and subsea interconnection projects, while cable manufacturers expand factories and developers compete for installation slots years in advance. A shortage of suitable vessels can affect project schedules even when permits, turbines, cables, and grid agreements are already in place.

The technical requirements are also rising. Longer routes, heavier cables, deeper waters, dynamic seabed conditions, and HVDC systems increase the demands on vessel design, deck layout, cable handling, positioning systems, tension control, and onboard accommodation. Integrated marine technology packages, including dynamic positioning and cable-laying control systems, are becoming central to installation reliability.

For LS Marine Solution, the vessel will expand capability beyond existing assets and support a more integrated offshore cable offer. The company’s wider group has also been building its position in submarine cable production, making installation capacity a strategic complement to cable supply.

The vessel will not enter service until 2028, yet its construction aligns with the long lead times now shaping offshore grid delivery. Offshore wind targets and interconnector plans are already placing pressure on vessels, ports, cable factories, and high-voltage specialists. By the time the vessel is delivered, grid operators and developers will be competing to turn planned offshore capacity into connected electrical assets.