LD Armateurs Buys Three PSVs to Convert Into Cable-Laying Vessels
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French shipowner LD Armateurs (LDA) has purchased three platform supply vessels (PSVs) currently under construction, with the aim of converting them into submarine telecommunications cable installation and repair vessels. The deal is part of the company's expansion of its subsea fleet.
Timeline and specifications
According to the company, the three PSVs will be delivered in the second quarter of 2027 and then moved to a conversion shipyard, whose name has not been disclosed, to install the equipment needed for cable operations. They are expected to enter service in the first quarter of 2028. Each converted vessel will have the capacity to carry 2,800 tonnes of cable and will feature hybrid-electric propulsion, enabling both conventional installation and repair work and complex projects.
Strategic objectives
LDA's CEO, Samira Draoua, said the investment aims to support the sustained growth of the telecommunications sector, contribute to the sovereignty of critical infrastructure, and get ahead of the modernization of a global fleet that is aging and has insufficient capacity. In the same vein, the company stressed that the decision responds to growing demand for cable installation and repair capacity amid concerns over the aging global fleet.
Prior experience and training
LDA, which has more than 25 years of experience in submarine telecommunications cable operations, already operates cable-laying and maintenance vessels for Alcatel Submarine Networks and Optic Marine Group. The company had previously converted the PSV Ile de Molène into a cable maintenance vessel at a shipyard in Gdansk, Poland, which entered service with Alcatel Submarine Networks in 2022. In September, LDA also took delivery of the multipurpose DP2 vessel TVO Mariner for its subsidiary LD TravOcean, which specializes in submarine cable installation and protection. To support this expansion, the company is setting up the Académie LDA, aimed at recruiting and training crews for its cable business.
Other fleet projects
The new academy will also support the arrival of three methanol-fueled, wind-assisted Ro-Ro vessels that LDA is building for Airbus logistics operations. The first of these ships, the Spirit of Toulouse, recently completed the installation of six Norsepower rotor sails.
