Dimension Consultants and Bureau Veritas Sign MOU on Cable Lay Vessel Design and Mission Equipment

Framework covers independent design review and classification of power, fibre-optic and hybrid cable lay vessels; Maxwell Class hybrid vessel positioned as common platform for subsea fibre and power cable demand

Dimension Consultants Pte Ltd ("Dimension"), a vertically integrated subsea services provider for cable transport and installation (T&I) projects, and Bureau Veritas Marine (Singapore) Pte Ltd ("Bureau Veritas", operating within Bureau Veritas' Marine & Offshore business line) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a three-year framework for cooperation on the independent design review, product verification and classification of subsea cable lay systems and cable lay vessel designs. The MOU was signed on 23 September 2026 at Bureau Veritas' Singapore office.

The agreement formalizes an established working relationship covering Dimension's offering of cable carousels, cable storage systems and cable lay spreads, for which Bureau Veritas has provided independent design review and attended factory acceptance testing.

Under the MOU, cooperation extends from mission equipment to complete vessel designs across three classes — Power Cable Lay Vessels, Fiber Optic Cable Lay Vessels and Hybrid Cable Lay Vessels — together with the integration of mission equipment into the vessel platform. Bureau Veritas will act as the principal technical office for plan approval and design verification.

Maxwell Class: one platform for fiber and power cables
Central to Dimension's vessel portfolio is the Maxwell Class — named after James Clerk Maxwell — a multipurpose hybrid cable lay vessel at preliminary design stage, engineered to serve four markets from one mobilization: long-distance fibre-optic lay and repair, inter-array cables and offshore electrification, deep ploughing and trenching, and walk-to-work accommodation, electrification and commissioning support for offshore wind campaigns.

The design combines 5,250 t of fiber-optic cable capacity worked through twin 40 t cable drum engines with a 2,250 t below-deck dual-mode carousel handling both power and fiber-optic cable, served by Dimension's proven power cable laying system. An MD3-XT plough spread provides burial to 3.3 m, subject to seabed conditions, supported by dual ROV hangars. The vessel is a DP2 design with diesel-electric propulsion and 1,500 kWh battery energy storage, accommodation for up to 100 persons and walk-to-work readiness, with a 150 t AHC offshore crane, 1,000 hp ROV and motion-compensated gangway as optional upgrades. The mission spread is developed in partnership with SMD.

The Maxwell Class responds to two markets growing in parallel — subsea fiber-optic cable systems driven by data-center and hyperscaler demand, and offshore wind, interconnector and grid power cables — and offers Dimension's customer partners a single certifiable platform serving both.

Neumann Class floating data center
Dimension is also developing the Neumann Class — named after John von Neumann — a modular floating data center platform at concept design stage that brings compute closer to where demand is. The baseline 10 MW high-density IT load is housed in a four-level server block on an 80 m purpose-built, class-surveyed barge, with dual-fuel LNG/diesel generation (14 MW installed, N+1), containerized battery storage, rooftop solar and N+1 liquid cooling with seawater heat rejection. Spud-moored in sheltered coastal water and redeployable as demand shifts, the architecture scales to 20 MW and 40 MW on larger hulls, with dedicated fiber and power connections to shore. Dimension offers the platform under a single EPC contract, with engineering and systems integration in Singapore and a 24-month build-and-commissioning program.

Anuj Choudhary, Managing Director, Dimension Consultants, said: "This MOU gives our clients a clear, predictable route to Class-approved cable lay systems and vessels through a single technical office in Singapore. With the Maxwell Class we address the fiber and power cable markets on one hull, and Bureau Veritas' early engagement means classification is built into delivery from the first design review through to the vessel's class certificate."