Strengthening its dominance in the high-growth sub-sea cable market, E-marine, the Middle East’s principal provider of submarine cable solutions, recently launched its newest cable-laying vessel, the CS Maram, in Dubai.
The newest in E-marine’s fleet of five vessels, and the fourth in its cable-laying fleet, CS Maram is considered to be the most modern eco-friendly cable ship ever built.
“This is our fifth vessel to be added in our cable-laying fleet and is one of the most modern eco-friendly cable ships in the world,” Omar Jassim Bin Kalban, managing director and chief executive officer of E-marine, told Gulf News Journal. “It demonstrates our commitment to the region and helps us in faster deployment of our cable systems across a wider geographic area.”
Built by Ali &Sons Marine Engineering of Abu Dhabi, CS Maram is designed to manage the installation and maintenance of all types of sub-sea cables, including fiber-optic telecommunications cables and power cables. It is equipped with the latest high-tech ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle - QT 400) that will enable the vessel to undertake inspections and surveys of the seabed up to approximately 8,000 feet deep and cut trenches to bury the cable up to 5 feet below the seabed.
Bin Kalban said the ship can sail for more than 60 days without the need for any kind of logistical support. It hosts 72 people with 5-Star facilities conforming to SPS 2008, a class enjoyed by passenger ships with a speed of 15 knots. CS Maram is equipped with an advanced Dynamic Positioning-2 system that keeps the ship stable for operation up to a sea state of Beaufort-7 (i.e., high winds up to 40 miles an hour and wave heights up-to 19 feet).
“With this greater capacity we can cover more geographies, even beyond our existing region, creating a new benchmark in service levels that provide better customer satisfaction,” Bin Kalban said.
CS Maram obtained the esteemed global eco-friendly certification Green Plus by keeping a check on the ship’s overall effect on the climate and through its environmental performance index. This certificate is granted to only those new vessels that genuinely show significant investment in design solutions, on board equipment and operational procedures.
"CS Maram won this prestigious certification by implementing extra safety measures, use of clean fuel and focusing on crew comfort among many other sustainability criteria," Bin Kalban said.
As of today, E-marine has laid more than 20,000KM of cables in the region and maintain around 100,000Km of submarine cables, which comprises the laying of some of the first communication cables to the United Arab Emirates, connecting it to the world.
"E-marine, strategically located in the region, takes care of the installation and maintenance of submarine cables, most economically, in the shortest possible time," Bin Kalban said.
More than 97 percent of global data traffic is carried through submarine fiber cables, Bin Kalban said, with the remaining 3 percent done through satellite systems. As for the UAE, it is one of the most strategically located countries, connecting east to west and has the most modern international infrastructure in subsea telecommunications in the region. Over recent decades, E-Marine has been part of the growth story of the area, stretching from India and Iraq to Egypt and Tanzania.
“CS Maram will give us greater flexibility in planning and execution of projects, resulting in faster response and turnaround time," Bin Kalban said. “As the Middle East’s principal provider of submarine cable solutions, we know this market. With data consumption on the rise, our services become more and more significant in the advancement of the region.”
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