Andromeda with 24 MW hybrid power and DP-2 configuration
Asso.subsea officially announced the signing of the shipbuilding contract for Andromeda, its new next-generation Trenching Support Vessel (TSV) and sister ship to Avra.
The agreement materialized following the declaration of an option included in the original Avra contract, further consolidating the Greek company’s strategic alliance with China’s Shenzhen-based Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) shipyard.
Andromeda will be built at the same shipyard where both Avra and cable-laying vessel Althea are already taking shape, thus concentrating three next-generation units under one industrial roof. This production concentration is not coincidental: it responds to a deliberate strategy of technical standardization and supply chain optimization that reduces integration risks and ensures operational consistency across vessels.
24 MW Hybrid Power: A Technical Record in Offshore TSVs
The most significant feature of Andromeda, which defines its competitive positioning, is its hybrid propulsion system with 24 MW of installed power, recognized as a record in the trenching support vessel category. The vessel shares identical technical specifications with Avra, including DP-2 configuration with dual redundancy and 24 MW of installed hybrid power.
This propulsion architecture combines high-efficiency diesel generators with battery energy storage systems, enabling operation in pure electric mode during subsea precision maneuvers, reducing fuel consumption in transit, and complying with the sector’s most stringent emissions regulatory frameworks.
This difference is not just about raw performance: it implies greater traction capacity in adverse conditions, greater dynamic stability under trenching vehicle loads, and less dependence on favorable weather windows.
Twin Vessel Fleet Strategy for the Offshore Energy Market
The decision to build Andromeda with identical technical specifications to Avra is not a design coincidence: it is a business strategy. With two high-specification TSVs and a cable-laying vessel under construction in China, the Greek contractor is positioning itself to increase its trenching and cable installation capacity in the coming years.
Total standardization between both vessels reduces crew training costs, optimizes spare parts management, and enables operational interchangeability between units. In the current market context, where demand for subsea installation capacity systematically exceeds available supply, having two vessels for parallel deployment gives Asso.subsea a tangible contractual advantage over its competitors.
Ioannis Togias, Chief Marine Technology Officer at Asso.subsea, noted that signing the Andromeda contract reflects the company’s proactive response to growing demand for high-performance trenching solutions, ensuring operational flexibility and parallel deployment options for its clients worldwide.
Source and photo: Asso.subsea