New Cable Laying Vessel Kizuna Launched in Japan
NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com), NTT World Engineering Marine Corporation (NTTWEM) and NTT Finance Corporation (NTT Finance) have jointly held a launching ceremony for their new submarine cable laying vessel ‘Kizuna’ at Kanrei Shipyard in Tokushima, Japan.
Construction of the 8,500 ton ship, which measures 109 meters in length and 20 meters in width, and which will have a planned average cruising speed of 13 knots and a capacity of up to 60 crew, will be completed by the end of fiscal year 2016, NTT Com informed.
Kizuna will be owned by NTT Finance and leased to NTTWEM when required.
NTTWEM’s parent company NTT Com and other telecommunication companies and service providers will utilize Kizuna and three other vessels operated by NTTWEM to lay and maintain submarine cables used for delivering network and cloud services, the company noted.
Kizuna is configured with its main working space in the stern.
An ROV equipped with a jet cable laying system and with a maximum operating depth of 2,500 meters will be delivered as part of the new vessel’s equipment.
Furthermore, Kizuna has been designed to assist during disaster recovery operations, for example through the rapid shipment of containers and other supplies. The vessel can also transport disaster recovery vehicles and emergency cellular network base stations, as well as satellite communication facilities and temporary accommodation for NTT group employees working in disaster zones.
NTT Com plans to deploy the new ship for cable laying in Japanese waters, while its sister vessel ‘Subaru’ is being used mostly overseas.
The name of the new vessel was chosen following an internal poll of NTT Com employees. The Japanese word “kizuna” signifies the connection between people and between people and things.
