France’s Orange Marine has ordered two new cable laying and repair vessels designed for subsea telecommunications operations from Sri Lanka shipbuilder Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC).

A press release said that the vessels to be made by CDPLC will be designed by Norway’s Vard Design AS. The vessels will have optimized hull forms and bow shapes to enable high speeds and reduce fuel consumption, meeting Bureau Veritas classification society standards and French Flag Authority regulatory requirements. Delivery of these new vessels is anticipated for 2028 and 2029.

“These new vessels will allow (us) to operate the most modern cable ship fleet in the world, serving all our customers across the globe with an optimized environmental footprint,” said Didier Dillard, president of Orange Marine and Elettra Tlc.

The vessels will focus on cable laying, repair, and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) inspection duties. Each vessel will have an Orange Marine–designed ROV for cutting, inspecting, and burying subsea cables. The design prioritizes strong sea-keeping and excellent station-keeping performance while minimizing environmental impact, aligning with BV CLEANSHIP low fuel consumption standards.

Orange Marine, a global leader in submarine telecommunications, specializes in engineering, installation and maintenance of intercontinental and regional cable links. The company notes that its fleet represents 12% of the world’s cable maintenance ships.