Palfinger Marine has secured a major contract to supply equipment for the construction of Prysmian Group’s Monna Lisa, a state-of-the-art cable laying vessel. Currently being built at VARD Tulcea in Romania, the 171-meter vessel is set to become Prysmian’s flagship in pursuit of carbon neutrality.
The Monna Lisa, a sister ship to Prysmian’s Leonardo da Vinci, boasts a remarkable cable pulling tension of 100 tons, making it the market leader in power cable installation capacity, reaching depths of up to 3,000 meters. Fitted with Palfinger equipment, the vessel will incorporate sustainable solutions aimed at reducing carbon emissions and minimizing the environmental footprint of the industry.
Palfinger Marine, reaffirming its position, will supply an extensive equipment package, similar to the one provided for Prysmian’s previous cable laying vessel, Leonardo da Vinci. The package includes a large A-frame for plough operations, active heave-compensated lifting/towing winch, towing winch, combined quadrant/auxiliary winch, auxiliary winches, towing roller with limiting pins, hangar traveling cranes, tension elevators with hatch covers, mooring platforms, provision platforms, ROV doors with L-hatches, lifeboats, and fenders.
The Monna Lisa, designed by VARD Design in Ålesund, Norway, will join Prysmian’s installation fleet, increasing the cable laying vessels to six. The vessel’s hull is under construction at VARD Tulcea in Romania, with final outfitting, commissioning, and delivery to be handled by VARD Søviknes in Norway. The cable laying vessel is expected to commence commercial operations in Q1 2025.
Sverre Mowinckel-Nilsen, Head of Global Marine Sales Solution Management at Palfinger Marine, expressed enthusiasm, stating, “Our goal is to be the leading supplier of mission-critical equipment for large and advanced cable laying vessels in the maritime industry. This delivery once again proves our capability to develop, design, and deliver high-end, vital equipment for cable laying operations. We look forward to embarking on this new project together with Prysmian.”
The Monna Lisa will feature cutting-edge cable installation equipment, including carousels of 7,000 and 10,000 tons, along with state-of-the-art DP3 positioning and seakeeping systems. With a beam of about 34 meters, it comes with a bollard pull of 200 tons, and its maximum transit speed will exceed 16 knots.”
