By Francois Giudice, Senior Correspondent, France
On 22 September 2023, Orange Marine celebrated the launch of its new cable-laying vessel Sophie Germain. CEO of the Orange Group, Christel Heydemann was joined by CEO of Orange Marine, Didier Dillard, CEO of Orange Wholesale, Michaël Trabbia and Executive VP of Group Corporate Social Responsibility and the ship’s sponsor Elizabeth Tchoungui.
Orange Marine’s investment into this latest-generation vessel strengthens its position as a major player when it comes to surveying, laying, repairing, and maintaining submarine cables worldwide. Our specialist subsidiary is renowned the world over for its experience and owns 15 per cent of the global cable ship fleet.
Submarine cables are fundamental for telecommunications since they carry 99 per cent of intercontinental telephone and data communications. End to end, this represents 1.3 million kilometers, or 33 times around the globe.
This technological flagship with a low environmental footprint joins the fleet of Orange Marine, our subsidiary for submarine cable laying and maintenance, which has already deployed over 257,000 kilometers of cables under the oceans.
A dual technological and environmental challenge
From its home port of La Seyne-sur-Mer, the Sophie Germain can now be deployed within 24 hours and 365 days a year to carry out submarine cable repair and maintenance in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the Black Sea. Our latest high-tech vessel has been designed to stay in service for the next 40 years to support fiber optic cables and electrical connection cables for offshore wind turbines.
The Sophie Germain is not just a ship; it is a source of pride for Orange and a concrete response to a modern challenge: combining progress and sustainability.
The innovations developed by Orange Marine and integrated into the Sophie Germain also achieve 25 per cent less fuel consumption than average, 22 per cent fewer CO₂ emissions, 82 per cent fewer NOx (nitrogen oxide) emissions, and a “CLEANSHIP” classification in waste management. These results illustrate the Group’s approach to running a more energy-efficient ship. For example, when docked at La Seyne-Sur-Mer, the Sophie Germain is powered by a network of solar panels.
The launch of this new vessel marks our commitment to investing in reducing our fleet’s overall environmental footprint.
