News this week

A specialised cable laying ship is due in Orkney this week to carry out work for EMEC.

EMEC has chartered the CS Sovereign to lay three new seabed cables, two at the test site for tidal technologies at the Fall of Warness off Eday and one at the wave test site at Billia Croo near Stromness.
The 130-metre vessel, operated by Essex-based Global Marine Systems Ltd, will also be used for maintenance work on existing cables at the two test sites.

After collecting cable for the operations from Drammen in Norway, CS Sovereign is expected to arrive in Orkney today (16 July 2010).

Cable laying will take place first at the Fall of Warness before the ship moves on to the wave test site. It is expected to be present in Orkney waters until around August 5.

EMEC managing director Neil Kermode said: “The addition of three new cables reflects a growing demand for berths at the test sites from the developers of wave and tidal energy devices.

“As ever, safety is of paramount concern to us and we’d ask other seafarers to give the CS Sovereign a wide berth while the cable laying operations are in progress.”