Ile de Bréhat

Ile de Bréhat is one of the roughly sixty cable ships worldwide that keep the internet alive — laying new submarine cables and repairing broken ones, sailing for Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN Marine).

Specifications

OperatorAlcatel Submarine Networks (ASN Marine)
Roleinstallation
FlagFrance
Built2001, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, Ulsan
Length × beam140.36 m × 23.4 m
Cable capacity6,000 tonnes
DP classDP II
Base portMarseille, France (registry)

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Overview

Ile de Bréhat is an installation vessel — a ship purpose-built to lay new submarine cable systems rather than repair existing ones. Operated by Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN Marine) and registered in France, she was constructed at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan, South Korea, and delivered in 2001.

At 140. 36 metres long with a 23. 4-metre beam, she is a substantial platform. Her cable-carrying capacity totals 6,000 tonnes, divided across four tanks: two main tanks of 3,000 tonnes each and two auxiliary tanks of 250 tonnes apiece.

The auxiliary tanks allow shorter cable segments or different cable types to be kept separate and deployed independently — useful when a route requires transition sections or shore-end cables with different specifications. The vessel can store up to 200 repeaters, the signal-amplifying units spliced into long-haul systems at regular intervals.

Capability and Operations

Ile de Bréhat holds a DP II dynamic positioning rating, meaning she uses automated thruster systems to hold station without anchors — essential when working in deep water or near sensitive seabed infrastructure. DP II specifically denotes a redundant system that can maintain position even if a single component fails.

Her maximum speed is 15.4 knots, with an economical cruising speed of 11.5 knots — a practical consideration on transoceanic installation runs where fuel efficiency over long transits matters as much as raw pace.

Base and Fleet Context

The ship is registered and based in Marseille, a longstanding hub for ASN Marine's European operations. Within the ASN fleet, Ile de Bréhat sits firmly on the installation side of the ledger, complementing the operator's dedicated repair vessels that handle in-service faults on existing cable systems.