Cable success creates new EMEC berths

The operation to install three new seabed cables at EMEC, the Orkney-based European Marine Energy Centre, has been completed successfully.

More than four kilometres of cable were laid, creating two new test berths at EMEC’s tidal test site off Eday and another at the wave test facility near Stromness.

The CS Sovereign, a cable laying ship operated by Essex-based Global Marine Systems Ltd, was chartered to carry out the work.

Barnstaple and Aberdeen-based defence, oil and gas engineering business, J+S Ltd, provided and installed the specialised equipment that will allow wave and tidal developers to connect their devices to the new and existing cables at the two sites.

EMEC operations manager Stuart Baird said: “This was a challenging task performed in the ever changing conditions at our wave and tidal test sites.

“It was carried out with great professionalism by the teams involved from both Global Marine Systems and J+S Ltd.

“In all, over 4,000 metres of cable were laid on the seabed to provide three new berths, which greatly enhances our ability to meet the needs of the growing number of developers keen to use our world leading facilities.

“The three cables are already contracted to developers, who are planning to deploy devices within the year.”

Funding from DECC, the UK Government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change, allowed EMEC to create the new test berths.