NEC Signs Charter Contract For Normand Clipper

NEC Press Release
October 17, 2022

Tokyo – NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) has signed a charter contract with U.K.-based Global Marine Systems Limited (*1) for an optical submarine cable-laying ship for approximately four years. Through this contract, NEC will strengthen its provision of submarine cable systems and respond to expanding demand for submarine cables due to the increase in global data traffic.

NEC has been a leading global vendor in the submarine cable system business for over 50 years, manufacturing submarine cables, submarine repeaters, and terminal station equipment (*2), in addition to coordinating marine surveys and route design, equipment installation work, cable laying, training and delivery testing. Until now, NEC has procured submarine cable-laying ships for each project separately. In order to respond to the growing demand for new submarine cables due to the recent spread of 5G and the increase in data traffic between data centers in various countries, NEC has chartered a long-term dedicated cable-laying ship for the first time. As a result, NEC will provide submarine cable systems more quickly and flexibly than ever before to meet customer demand.

Outline of the submarine cable-laying ship

Name Normand Clipper (IMO:9236200)
Registry Norway
Owner Solstad Rederi AS
Length 127 meters
Cable load 5,000 tons*
Charter period September 2022 to May 2026 (45 months)
* The ship can carry approximately 7,000 kilometers of cable in a typical configuration.
  • (*1)
    HQ: Essex, U.K., CEO: Bruce Neilson-Watts
  • (*2)
    The submarine cable is manufactured by NEC subsidiary OCC Corporation (HQ: Yokohama, Japan, Representative Director, President: Tomokazu Ito). Submarine relaying devices are manufactured by NEC Platforms Ltd. (HQ: Tokyo, Japan, President and Representative Director: Noritaka Taguma).

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of “Orchestrating a brighter world.” NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.

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