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Subsea Cables News

18 Apr 2024

DEME Scoops ‘Most Extensive’ Cabling Contract in Its History

(Credit: DEME)

DEME has been awarded two contracts from cable solutions provider Prysmian for the engineering and installation works for the IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1 offshore grid systems in the Netherlands, whose combined worth is over $315 million.This is the most extensive cabling award in DEME’s history and marks the company's first project involving Prysmian’s 525 kV HVDC cable technology, featuring increased transmission capacity, according to the company.The contracts encompass cable installation…

08 Feb 2024

DNV Updates ‘Go-To Standard’ for Offshore Energy Operations

© Zacharias / Adobe Stock

DNV has published a substantial revision to the ‘go-to standard’, DNV-ST-N001, for the design and planning of marine operations for the transport, installation and removal of offshore wind farms, subsea cables and oil and gas assets.The new major changes reflect the changing nature of the offshore industry in line with its support of the energy transition, ensuring that the standard remains relevant and supports the development of cost-effective marine operations during a fast-evolving energy transition.DNV…

10 Nov 2023

Estonia Names Chinese Ship as Suspect in Telecoms Cables Damage

Chinese ship NewNew Polar Bear (previously known as Baltic Fulmar) in 2020. (Photo: Alf van Beem)

Estonia's prosecutor general said on Friday that the Hong Kong-registered NewNew Polar Bear container vessel was the primary suspect in an investigation of damage to two subsea telecoms cables linking Estonia to Finland and Sweden. "We prepared a legal assistance request to China so that the local law enforcement authorities would perform the procedural operations, primarily those connected to the vessel and its crew," State Prosecutor Triinu Olev said in a statement. The two cables were damaged on Oct 7-8.

07 Nov 2023

Russia Says Telecoms Cable Damaged Last month Just Before Nearby Baltic Gas Pipeline

Credit: Jesper/AdobeStock

A Russian fibre optic cable under the Baltic Sea was damaged last month only 28 km (17 miles) from where a gas pipeline linking Finland and Estonia was damaged soon afterwards, Russian state company Rostelecom said on Tuesday.Finnish police believe damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline was caused by a Chinese container ship dragging its anchor along the seabed but have not concluded whether this was an accident or a deliberate act.Security of sub-sea cables and pipelines in the Baltic has become a top concern against the background of the Ukraine war…

02 Nov 2023

Singapore Firm Orders Next-Gen Cable Ship Design

Singapore-based Megamas Resources, in partnership with Renaissance Technologies (RTM) has contracted Ulstein Design & Solutions AS to design a cable-laying and repair vessel. According to a press release issued Thursday, the decision to press ahead with the order was taken in view of the shortage of cable ships, as well as an aging fleet in the submarine cable industry. Megamas Resources plans to build two cable layers, with the first targeted to be ready for service in early 2026, to fill the gap in meeting the industry demand.

27 Oct 2023

Three Baltic Pipe and Cable Incidents "are related", Estonia Says

The NewNew Polar Bear ship photographed as Baltic Fulmar outside the Port of Rotterdam in 2020 - Public Domain Photo

The three incidents that resulted in damage to a gas pipeline and two telecom cables between Estonia, Finland and Sweden "are related", Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said.Finnish police leading the pipeline investigation have named the Hong Kong-flagged container carrier NewNew Polar Bear as the prime suspect in damaging the Balticconnector Finland-Estonia gas pipeline early on Oct. 8.A large anchor was found near the pipeline, and the investigators believe the pipe was…

23 Oct 2023

Prysmian Installs Vineyard Wind 1 Cables

Cable Enterprise - Credit: Prysmian (file image)

Italian power and telecom cable-making and installation services firm Prysmian Group said Monday it had completed the installation and HV testing activities at Vineyard Wind 1, the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the US. Located more than 15 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, Vineyard Wind will consist of an array of 62 wind turbines that will generate 800 MW of electricity and power over 400,000 homes. The first turbine was installed last week.As for the Prysmian scope, the project was awarded to Prysmian Group in May 2019 by Vineyard Wind, LLC.

04 Oct 2023

Van Oord Set to Kick Off Cable Installation for Iberdrola's Baltic Eagle Offshore Wind Farm

Credit: Van Oord

Dutch offshore installation services company Van Oord is set to start the cable installation works on Iberdrola's Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm in Germany."After Van Oord’s heavy lift installation vessel Svanen completed installation of all fifty monopiles for Iberdrola Deutschland’s Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm, Van Oord now continues installing transition pieces and starts cable installation. This week the inter-array cable loading onto Van Oord’s cable-laying vessel Nexus has commenced…

02 Oct 2023

Jan De Nul Orders Offshore Cable Layer with Record-Breaking Capacity

Fleeming Jenkin - Copyright: Jan De Nul Group

Offshore installation services company Jan De Nul has ordered an extra-large cable-laying ship with an "unrivaled" cable-carrying capacity from China's CMHI Haimen shipyard.The vessel, to be named Fleeming Jenkin, will have a cable-carrying capacity of 28,000 tons, and will serve the renewable energy and subsea cable industry in installing cables over longer distances and in deeper waters. The vessel will be delivered in 2026. "Offshore wind farms go deeper and further offshore, and the interconnectivity between countries and regions become essential for the economy and energy security.

09 Aug 2023

Sri Lankan Shipyard Delivers Cable Layer to European Owner

Colombo Dockyard PLC recently delivered the first-ever Cable Laying and Repair Vessel (CLRV) to the European market from Sri Lanka.The vessel was built for Orange Marine, a France-based specialist in submarine telecommunications, whose fleet represents a 15% of the global fleet in this sector."Colombo Dockyard delivered the first Cable Layer (CLV) to Japan in 2019. Now, with the delivery of "C/S Sophie Germain," this becomes the second vessel of its category delivered by the shipyard…

28 Jun 2023

Italian Cable Giant Ups Emission Reduction Targets for the Near Term

Prysmian's Leonardo da Vinci cable layer - Credit; Prysmian (file image)

Italy's Prysmian has adopted a net zero carbon target by 2050 and slightly upped its emission reduction targets for the near term, the world's largest cable maker said on Wednesday.Prysmian - which supplies cables for industries including high voltage power transmission, offshore wind farms and telecoms - said in a statement it was committed to reducing all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the value chain by 2050.As part of this plan, the company will cut so-called Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 90% by 2035…

26 Jun 2023

New Product: Subsea Power Cable Cutting, Clamping Tool

Image courtesy Credeblug

Credeblug and Tecnalia have teamed to improve the maintenance and repair operations carried out on underwater power cables. The end result: the manufacture and validation of s cutting and clamping tool, designed to secure one end of a cable after it has been cut, aiming to save time and money.“This functionality has been called for by offshore cable repair teams all over the world since such operations began in the 19th century," said Joannes Berquè, a TECNALIA researcher. "To this day, current cutting tools mean that the ends of the cable drop off after they have been cut.

23 Jun 2023

Subsea Cable Laying, Protection Innovation Funded in Japan

Copyright aapsky/AdobeStock

NYK, as a member of a consortium of four companies (also including: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.; Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.; and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.) has been selected by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in an open call for applications related to the "Development of basic technologies for a multi-purpose and multi-terminal high voltage direct current transmission system,” in addition to the “development of construction methods for the installation of cable protecting system…

18 Apr 2023

Norway Parliament Asks for CCS Alternative to Decarbonize Major LNG Plant

Credit: Equinor

Norway's parliament on Tuesday told the government to consider an alternative way to cut carbon emissions at Western Europe's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, but stopped short of outright halting a controversial plan to use power from land. Oil firm Equinor and partners are seeking approval to replace the use of gas at the plant with power from the national grid, and thus reduce its emissions. The site is one of Norway's largest single emitters of carbon dioxide. In a unanimous vote…

28 Mar 2023

Asso.subsea Partners with GAP Consortium for crucial Greece-Egypt Interconnection

©Asso.subsea

The GAP Consortium and Asso.subsea have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation on the two-gigawatt (2 GW) electrical interconnection between Greece and Egypt (Greece-Africa Power Interconnector – GAP).The GAP, founded by the Eunice Energy Group, is a transnational consortium between Greece and Egypt that aims to contribute to regional energy security and stability by facilitating intercontinental clean energy transfer. As part of the consortium, Asso.subsea…

20 Jan 2023

UK Defense Ministry Buys Offshore Construction Vessel for Subsea Cable, Pipelines Protection

The UK defense ministry has acquired a subsea construction vessel that used to work in the offshore energy industry. The vessel, Topaz Tangaroa, will undergo a period of military modification and will be used to protect subsea cables and oil and gas pipelines.The Topaz Tangaora, to be renamed as it joins the Royal Fleet Auxiliary fleet, is the first of two future undersea surveillance ships, and it arrived at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead. Thursday.Once operational, the ship will be used to protect seabed telecommunications cables and oil and gas pipelines. "The 98-meter-long, adaptable offshore patrol vessel – the length of Big Ben – will act as a ‘mother ship’…

04 Jan 2023

Equinor, BP JV Hires DEME for Offshore Wind Cable Installation in U.S.

Credit: DEME

Offshore installation services company DEME Offshore has won a "substantial" contract for the transportation and installation of the inter-array cables for the Empire Wind 1 and 2 offshore wind farms being developed in the U.S. by Empire Offshore Wind, a joint venture between Equinor and BP.For DEME, a substantial contract represents a value of EUR 150–300 million.Under the contract, DEME Offshore US will be responsible for the transport and installation of the inter-array cables…

03 Nov 2022

Cable Installation Kicks Off at U.S. First Commercial Scale Offshore Wind Farm

©Vineyard Wind

Cable installation has kicked off at Vineyard Wind, the U.S. first commercial scale offshore wind farm, at a site located 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. Vineyard Wind, the company developing the namesake wind farm, also announced that it expects to begin nearshore cable work off the south coast of Cape Cod in the coming days. The work is being conducted by Prysmian Group, the subsea cable manufacturing and installation firm based in Italy.Prysmian recently announced plans to build the first U.S.-based offshore wind subsea cable factory in Somerset…

15 Feb 2022

Normand Clipper CSV to Stay with Global Marine Group Until May 2026

Offshore services firm Global Marine Group has extended the contract for Solstad Offshore's construction support vessel Normand Clipper.The contract extension is for three years more, with the vessel now expected to stay with Global Marine Group until May 2026. Global Marine Group will have additional extension options upon the expiration of the firm contract.Global Marine Group will continue to utilize the vessel to support its worldwide cable lay operations."The commercial terms and conditions are confidential between the parties…

17 Feb 2022

Prysmian to Open Submarine Cable Plant in the US

A rendering of the Prysmian Brayton Point plant. Image courtesy Prysmian Group

Prysmian Group said it is moving ahead with its project for a new submarine power cable plant in the U.S., announcing the signing of the contract for the purchase by Prysmian of the site identified in Brayton Point (Massachusetts). The final acquisition of the site is subject to securing state permits for the construction of the new plant. if approved, the total investment to build the new plant will amount to around $200 million.Finalization of the plans for the U.S. localization…

21 Jul 2022

U.S. President Biden Visits Prysmian's Subsea Cable Plant Site in Brayton Point, Mass.

Credit: Prysmian

Prysmian Group, the energy and telecom cable systems provider, on Wednesday welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden on a visit to the site of its new subsea power cables plant in Brayton Point, Massachusetts. Prysmian said it was set to transform the area, home to the former Somerset coal plant, into a high-tech hub for the energy transition process.The Brayton Point factory will manufacture subsea inter-array and export cables up to 275 kV AC or 525 kV DC, that are needed to connect offshore wind farms to mainland power grids.

03 Nov 2022

Prysmian Adds Barbarossa I Cable Layer to Its Fleet. Wins IMR Work in France

Barbarossa I - ©Prysmian

Italian subsea cable firm Prysmian Group said Thursday it has added a new vessel - Barbarossa I - to its fleet."After the debut of the state-of-the-art 170-meter Leonardo da Vinci [vessel] in August 2021, Prysmian Group’s fleet would seem to be complete. But with the addition of Barbarossa I, Prysmian Group becomes the first company in the sector that can provide the full range of submarine cable-laying solutions from the shallowest coastal waters in Northern Europe to the profoundest depths of the Mediterranean Sea.

10 Mar 2022

Ørsted-Eversource JV Taps Nexans for Revolution Offshore Wind Farm Export Cable

File Photo: Nexans

Paris-based offshore cable making and installation company Nexans has won a contract with Ørsted and Eversource to install and protect the export cable link for the Revolution offshore wind farm in the U.S.The project will connect the wind farm to the onshore grid and help Connecticut and Rhode Island states achieve ongoing commitments to develop offshore wind.Located more than 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast and 32 miles southeast of the Connecticut coast, the 704 MW Revolution Wind Farm will address both states’ energy needs…