Maats utstyr Nexans Aurora 2

Offloaded topside equipment for Nexans Aurora

During some hectic days, a total of 197 heaves of topside equipment for the cable laying ship Nexans Aurora have been offloaded at Ulstein Verft. The largest single heave was the cable capstan with a net weight of 176 tonnes.

The cable lying vessel Nexans Aurora is a large and compact ship. Measuring 149.9 metres in length and 31 metres in width, she has a dead weight of 17,000 tonnes. She has been designed to handle large quantities of subsea cables.
 

On 15 June, the hull of the Nexans Aurora arrived at Ulstein Verft. A few days later, a cargo vessel arrived at the shipyard, carrying several hundred tonnes of topside equipment to be installed in the cable laying vessel. The heavy lift department at Ulstein Verft operates a mobile crane which is capable of lifting 600 tonnes, so the heave of the 176t capstan from Maats Tech Ltd offered no difficulties.

Maats utstyr Nexans Aurora 11

In total, three ship loads of topside equipment will be delivered and unloaded at Ulstein Verft in connection with this project. In addition comes all the other truck deliveries. In the next ship delivery the cable carousel will arrive. This has a capacity of 10,000 tonnes and can handle two cables at the same time. Normal cable diameter will be approximately 20 centimetres.

Included in the many other heaves were the two large lay wheels and all the 264 rollers for the cable carousel.

Lifting of Maats equipment package for the CLV vessel Nexans Aurora.

The hull of the Nexans Aurora has now been positioned in the dock hall at Ulstein Verft, and the outfitting of this newbuild has started.
 

The heavylift department are on their way to new assignments, this time at Fosen Yard in Rissa, county of Trøndelag, to transport a 130-tonne engine room section. For this task, two Goldhofer multiwheelers will be used, which have a total transport capacity of 640 tonnes.

Get in touch

DSC4731 comp bw

Jostein Sørnes

Description
Section leader Heavy Lift/NDT operator
Affiliation
Ulstein Verft AS

Latest news

Yno 317 Nexans Electra in dock hall partly painted ULS 03508 DJI 20250919133134 0044 D
Feature

Behind the scenes: The construction of the cable-laying vessel Nexans Electra

The shipbuilding construction of Nexans Electra is approaching its final phase in the dock, before the comprehensive work continues quayside ahead of sea trials in spring 2026. How do you organise a staff of hundreds of workers, subcontractors and suppliers over several months to deliver the project on time and within budget? Join project manager Runar Toftesund at Ulstein Verft for a look behind the scenes.

Blue Ctrl personnel testing one of the operation stations
Update

New Managing Director at Blue Ctrl

The Ålesund-based company Blue Ctrl is making strategic changes to its leadership to strengthen its continued growth and position within the maritime technology sector. On 1 November, Marielle Furnes Mannseth will assume the role of Managing Director of the company.

Greg Mortimer's X-BOW cutting the seas, photo: Scott Portelli/Aurora Expeditions.
Feature

Aurora Expeditions: Redefining small-ship exploration with X-BOW® designs

Aurora Expeditions welcomed its third X-BOW cruise vessel, Douglas Mawson, in September 2025. “Many of our guests have travelled on other expedition ships before and immediately notice the difference. Whether it’s sleeping better at night, feeling less vibration during lectures, or spending more time in observation areas, the design truly enhances the experience,” says Katie Malone, Chief Marketing Officer at Aurora Expeditions, when commenting on the X-BOW design feature.