project updates
Transcription
project updates
EDITION NO. 164 project updates February 2016 The Global Information Newsletter for the Whole Submarine Cable Industry Editorial Welcome to the February 2016 issue of SubCableNews. – Issue No. 164 The repair of the Basslink Interconnector, connecting Australia to Tasmania is causing delays in repairs of the PPC-1 cable system, a vital fibre optic submarine cable link from Australia to Guam. A maintenance agreement is in place for the power cable as well as for the fibre optic link, using the same resources/ vessels. The repair of the Interconnector is foreseen to be completed by mid of March, leaving the PPC-1 out of service for over a month. We have to ask the question, is it wise to share resources between power cables and fibre optic cables for operation and maintenance? With the increasing numbers of power cables being installed worldwide, there might be a need to increase and distribute the resources accordingly. As usual, you will find the latest news about Offshore Wind Farms, Interconnectors, submarine telecom and tidal systems in this issue. Enjoy reading the Newsletter. The Editor Eckhard Bruckschen HUGO Repeaters loading in Brest, France Page 1 Table of Contents Project Update Europe Norway: Nexans to provide submarine cables for Lofotkraft grid strengthening project UK - Norway: Steel River Consultants to Work on NSN Link Sweden: ABB retraces its pioneering technology roots to upgrade world’s first HVDC link Sweden: Sotenäs Wave Energy Plant Delivers Power to Nordic Grid Lithuania - Sweden: NordBalt Enters Testing Phase Denmark: Vattenfall Looking for ROV, UXO Survey Services Denmark: Second Offshore Wind Farm Decommissioning on the Way Denmark: Danish association wins 28-MW offshore wind demo project Finland: Finland to Build 40 MW Offshore Wind Farm Denmark - Germany: Danish Minister Approves Baltic Sea Interconnection to Germany Germany: SeaVex Refurbishment wins Estuary Power Cable burial Germany: Seabed Preparation Starts for Veja Mate OWF Germany: Heerema to Build and Install BorWin3 Jacket Germany: Trianel Windpark Borkum Phase II Offers Cabling Job Germany: Dalby’s ASV Pioneer Grabs New Job in Germany Germany: Next Geosolutions Starts CWA Project Cable Route Survey Germany: Riffgat OWF Out of Action until End of April Germany: EnBW to Help Out Iberdrola with Wikinger Germany: E.ON Switches Amrumbank West On, Says Time for Offshore Wind Is Now Germany: Sandbank Project on Time despite Bad Weather Germany: DONG Energy to Develop another OWF Project in Germany Germany: Nordergründe offshore windfarm secures another investor Germany: TenneT TSO GmbH Looking For AC Subsea Cable Supplier The Netherlands: New Offshore Grid Bill on the Way to Dutch Parliament The Netherlands - Denmark: TenneT concludes contracts with Prysmian and Siemens for construction of ‘green’ subsea cable between Netherlands and Denmark The Netherlands - Denmark: Siemens Receives €170M COBRAcable Order The Netherlands - Denmark: Contract worth around € 250 M for a submarine power cable link between the Netherlands and Denmark France: DCNS Deploys First Paimpol-Bréhat Tidal Turbine in France UK - France: New Survey for FAB Link Interconnector Underway UK: Statoil chooses Nexans to supply cables for the world‘s first floating wind farm UK: Norfolk Marine Provides Scour Remediation for Scroby Sands UK: JDR Supplies Umbilicals for West Brae Field UK: Route Clearance to Begin on Western Link Project UK: SPR, Vattenfall Discover WWI German Submarine at East Anglia OWF UK: Galloper Has a Licence to Power UK: Centrica and EIG Sell Lynn and Inner Dowsing OWFs UK: DONG Signs Westermost Rough Transmission Sale UK: Dong Greenlights Behemoth Hornsea Project One OWF UK: Galloper Recognised for Finance Deal UK: Pharos Offshore Grabs Walney OWF Cable UK: VBMS Prepping for Pre-Lay Grapnel Run at Dudgeon OWF UK: Mainstream Raring to Build 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe OWF UK: DONG Sells Half of Burbo Bank Extension to PKA, LEGO UK: Fair Head Tidal targets summer for marine licence application Atlantic: Xtera Completed the Marine Installation of Its Second Repeatered Subsea Cable System Project Portugal: Third-party cable fault keeps WindFloat 1 power off grid Greece – Cyprus – Israel: Survey vessel looking for best route for undersea power cable P. 007 P. 008 P. 009 P. 010 P. 010 P. 011 P. 011 P. 012 P. 012 P. 013 P. 013 P. 014 P. 014 P. 015 P. 015 P. 016 P. 016 P. 017 P. 018 P. 018 P. 019 P. 019 P. 019 P. 021 P. 022 P. 023 P. 023 P. 024 P. 024 P. 026 P. 026 P. 027 P. 027 P. 027 P. 028 P. 029 P. 029 P. 030 P. 031 P. 031 P. 032 P. 032 P. 033 P. 034 P. 034 P. 035 P. 035 Project Update middle east Saudi Arabia: Jan De Nul’s CLV Isaac Newton Heads to Its First Mission Page 2 P. 036 Table of Contents Project Update africa Africa: SEACOM and Ciena Drive Web-scale Services across Africa Africa/Middle East: Multiple cable faults in last week of January 2016 P. 037 P. 038 Project update asia Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan plans first Caspian offshore wind farm at 198MW India: Potential wind farm atlas ready India: ‚Powerless‘ Elephanta Island to get electricity from I-Day Mauritius: Carnegie kicks-off Mauritius project Sri Lanka - India: Sri Lanka-India power link pre-feasibility complete Philippines: ERC says attempt to link Mindanao and Visayas power grids failed China: Rudong OWF Project Starts Producing Power Japan: NEDO Backs Two Wind Farm Projects off Japan South Pacific Ocean: Bureau Veritas Greenlights Ocean Thermal Energy Converter Project P. 040 P. 040 P. 041 P. 041 P. 042 P. 042 P. 043 P. 043 P. 044 Project Update australia Australia - Tasmania: Tasmania power crisis: Labor urges homes, businesses to cut electricity consumption Australia - Tasmania: More back-up generators ordered because of delays in Basslink cable repair West Australia: Carnegie Wave Energy’s CETO 6 unit generating power in Western Australia P. 045 P. 046 P. 047 Project update north america Prince Edward Island: Korea gets contract for part of P.E.I.‘s new underwater power cable Block Island: National Grid Kicks off Block Island OWF Connection Works New Jersey: New Jersey Governor Shelves Offshore Wind Bill New Jersey: DONG Energy Takes Up another U.S. Offshore Wind Site New York: LS Cable wins $100m. contract for U.S. and Canada Pacific: Microsoft’s Project Natick Tests Datacenter Underwater Bahamas: SST Completes Engineering Project for the US Navy Gulf of Mexico: McDermott Scoops Anadarko Subsea Gig California: Hermosa Beach to serve four submarine cables P. 048 P. 048 P. 049 P. 050 P. 050 P. 051 P. 052 P. 053 P. 053 Project Update caribbean Caribbean: C&W Networks Selects Xtera for Upgrading Its Multiple Submarine Cable Systems to 100G Technology Cuba - US: Cuba – US cable under consideration Cuba - US: UCT 1 - Unit of choice for GTMO cable landing Martinique: MMT, Reach Subsea to Work on NEMO Project for DCNS Page 3 P. 054 P. 055 P. 056 P. 058 Table of Contents Project Update world US - Europe: PCCW Global Picks AEConnect US - Europe: Global Cloud Xchange Upgrades Transatlantic Route with Ciena Asia – Africa – Europe: AAE-1 Consortium Selects Xtera for the Supply of Equipment Supporting the Terrestrial Segments of Its 25,000 km Network South East Asia – Middle East – Western Europe: Location of Landing Station unveiled Oman – Somalia - Ethiopia: Gulf to Africa, G2A, a New Groundbreaking Cable System Singapore – Malaysia – India – Sri Lanka – Oman – UAE: Undersea cable project reaches Chennai Australia – Guam: Submarine cable cut lops Terabits off Australia‘s data bridge Australia – Hawaii: Infinera, Telstra Validate ACT on Endeavour Subsea Cable Australia – New Zealand – US: Talks stalled for additional funding Asia – US: AAG Taps Ciena to Add More Capacity to Trans-Pacific Network Trans-Pacific: Trans-Pacific submarine cable within three years Chile – China: Chile, China sign ICT agreement US – Hawaii – Guam – Indonesia – Philippines: UH expands global network capacity with RTI partnership US – Hawaii – Guam – Indonesia – Philippines: RTI and Bluesky Pacific Group to Provide Seamless Connectivity Between US, Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, American Samoa, New Zealand, and Key Asian Destinations US – Brazil: Seabras-1 USA applied for landing licence P. 059 P. 059 P. 061 P. 062 P. 063 P. 065 P. 066 P. 067 P. 068 P. 068 P. 069 P. 069 P. 070 P. 071 P. 071 special report BPP-Cables - POWERING UP: THE POWERCAB JIP Assodivers – Assotrencher IV P. 072 P. 073 Company news ABB: ABB’s Octopus for Ultra Deep’s Newbuilds Aquatic Engineering & Construction: Aquatic in DNV GL JIP on Cable and Pipe Laying Equipment Atlas Professionals: Atlas Provides Personnel for Monita Project Bibby Offshore: Bibby Offshore Proposes New Work Model for Subsea Industry BPP Cables: BPP Cables Adds Director of Cable Operations Construction Industry Research and Information Association: CIRIA Releases UXO Best Practice Guidelines Deep Ocean Engineering: Deep Ocean Engineering Names VP of Sales and Marketing DNV GL: DNV GL acquires Swedish power system expert Gothia Power EdgeTech: EdgeTech Finds 6205 MPES Agent for Americas Eidesvik Offshore: Siemens to Use Eidesvik’s Vessel to Support German Ops EIVA: EIVA in Indonesia Representative Deal with Geotronix Energienet.dk: Energinet.dk Seeks Vessels for Subsea Cable O&M ENG Resources: ENG Resources to Help Recruiting in Subsea Industry Fraunhofer UK: ORCHIDS Project to Enhance Subsea Cable Monitoring French Environment and Energy Management Agency: Marseilles to Host Floating Offshore Wind Players in March Global Marine Systems Limited: HC2’s Subsidiary, Global Marine Systems Limited, Acquires Majority Interest in CWind Hexicon: Atkins to Design Dounreay Trì Floating Platform IKM Subsea Singapore: IKM Subsea Bags ROV Contracts in Singapore JDR: JDR Adds New Members to Board of Directors Kinewell Energy: KLOC Cuts Cable Costs and Electrical Losses Kongsberg Maritime AS: Kongsberg Sells Six HUGIN AUVs Kongsberg Maritime AS: Kongsberg Launches New Subsea Transponders Kraken Sonar Systems Inc.: Kraken Secures $500K Canada Backing Page 4 P. 075 P. 076 P. 076 P. 077 P. 077 P. 078 P. 078 P. 079 P. 079 P. 080 P. 080 P. 081 P. 081 P. 081 P. 082 P. 082 P. 083 P. 084 P. 084 P. 085 P. 085 P. 085 P. 086 Table of Contents Latam Telecommunications: Significant burden on submarine operators P. 087 Longyuan Power Group Corporation Limited: China Longyuan Wraps Up CNY 2 Bn Debenture Offering P. 087 Louis Dreyfus TravOcean: Saab Seaeye Leopards for Louis Dreyfus TravOcean P. 087 Makai Ocean Engineering Inc.: Makai upgrades software to plan and simulate subsea power and telecom cable installations P. 088 Marine Power Systems: SST Finalizes WaveSub Pump Testing P. 089 Maersk Supply Service: MSS Welcomes Maersk Connector to Its Fleet P. 090 New Jersey Fiber Exchange: Windstream expands its 100G Network to NJFX’s Meet-Me Room at Tata Communications’ Cable Landing Station P. 091 Oceaneering: BP Calls Off Vessel Contract with Oceaneering P. 092 OceanServer Technology: DRDC Acquires Iver3 AUV P. 092 Offshore Wind Accelerator: New guide to offshore wind cable burial P. 093 Pharos Offshore: Pharos Subsea Hydraulic Cable Grab Helps Repair Basslink P. 094 PhotoSynergy Ltd.: PSL Releases New Product; Gets Harkand and Bibby Offshore Support P. 094 Rederij Groen: Rederij Groen Buys into GloMar P. 095 ROVOP: ROVOP and WFS Join Forces to Slash OPEX P. 095 Meriaura OY: Rumours: CS Aura sold? P. 096 Seanamic Group: Umbilical International Sets Up Facility in Glasgow P. 096 Soil Machine Dynamics: SMD Delivers Solwara 1 Seafloor Production Tools P. 096 Southern Cross Cable Network: SX US POP Expansion P. 098 Southern Cross Cable Network: Southern Cross shareholders start work on future international cable roadmap P. 098 Scottish and Southern Energy: SSE consults on burying subsea cables to Shetland’s isles P. 099 Statkraft: Partial Privatisation Proposed for Statkraft P. 099 Subsea Innovation: Subsea Innovation Makes New Appointments P. 100 Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance Institute: Taiwan Aims for 4 GW of Installed Offshore Wind Capacity by 2030 P. 100 TenneT: TenneT Spins Turntables at Eemshaven P. 101 TenneT: TenneT Shelves Offshore Maintenance Centre Plan P. 101 UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office: UK Helps Develop India’s Offshore Wind, First Tendering Process Expected in 2018 P. 102 UTEC Survey: UTEC Survey Names New Head of Finance P. 102 Vodafone Portugal: Vodafone Portugal says submarine cable too expensive P. 102 Volstad Maritime AS: Grand Canyon III Delivery Postponed P. 103 Volstad Maritime AS: Volstad Turns Down DeepOcean’s Charter Termination P. 103 outlook Edition 165 Disclaimer Imprint P. 104 P. 104 P. 104 Advertisers Index Ahmtec Aquatic eos-projekt Fugro Fugro Fulgor Global Marine Systems Ltd. H2Offshore Huawei Marine ICPC P. 040 P. 060 P. 008 P. 051 P. 058 P. 020 P. 086 P. 033 P. 039 P. 097 Innovatum KJ Maritime Oceanology International 2016 Offshore Energy 2016 Poliservizi Primo Marine RMS Submarine SubOptic TAGU Telegeography TeliaSonera Van Oord Page 5 P. 066 P. 043 P. 077 P. 080 P. 089 P. 075 P. 049 P. 090 P. 017 P. 093 P. 065 P. 025 ADVERTORIAL Page 6 project updates Europe Norway Nexans to provide submarine cables for Lofotkraft grid strengthening project In a contract worth 4.6 million Euros, LofotKraft AS has once again selected Nexans to deliver and install 170 kV XLPE cables to upgrade the current systems in three fjords; Gimsøystraumen, Nappstraumen and Flakstadpollen to strengthen the power supply for residents throughout Lofoten, Norway. This will include upgrading the current grid capacity from 66 kV to 132 kV. versary of Nexans Norway, which began in 1915 as Scandinavian Cable and Gummifabrik. Throughout this time, the Group has delivered more than 1500 submarine cable projects, which together contribute to over 50% of global transmission. Tom Skattum, Project Manager at Nexans Norway said, “We are pleased to be working with Lofotkraft AS again as part of our 50 Lofotkraft AS will upgrade the submarine cable in all three fjords to extend longevity and solve issues related to inadequate transmission capacity. Nexans Norway will supply the 170 kV XLPE cables with transition joints, end terminations and contingency repair joints. The project begins in January 2016, with supply of the submarine cable scheduled for spring 2017 at Nexans’ Halden plant in Norway. We have just celebrated the 100th anni- year long relationship. Upgrading this grid means we are not only increasing the capacity, but increasing the redundancy, ensuring energy security of the residents of Lofoten.” Bjørn Harald Vian at Lofotkraft AS added : “The award is based on an overall assessment of the award criteria; price, project execution, quality and HSE. Furthermore, Nexans' experience and expertise in submarine cables were rated highly. In addition to being cost-effective, our previous Page 7 experience with Nexans in terms of service, response time, as well as certifications is positively emphasized.” About Nexans Nexans brings energy to life through an extensive range of cables and cabling solutions that deliver increased performance for our customers worldwide. Nexans’ teams are committed to a partnership approach that supports customers in four main business areas: Power transmission and distribution (submarine and land), Energy resources (Oil & Gas, Mining and Renewables), Transportation (Road, Rail, Air, Sea) and Building (Commercial, Residential and Data Centers). Nexans’ strategy is founded on continuous innovation in products, solutions and services, employee development, customer training and the introduction of safe, lowenvironmental-impact industrial processes. In 2013, Nexans became the first cable player to create a Foundation to introduce sustained initiatives for access to energy for disadvantaged communities worldwide. Nexans is an active member of Europacable, the European Association of Wire & Cable Manufacturers, and a signatory of the Europacable Industry Charter. The Charter expresses its members' commitment to the principles and objectives of developing ethical, sustainable and high-quality cables. We have an industrial presence in 40 countries and commercial activities worldwide, employing close to 26,000 people and generating sales in 2014 of 6.4 billion euros. Nexans is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris, compartment A. For more information, please consult: www. nexans.com project updates Europe UK - Norway Steel River Consultants to Work on NSN Link Health-and-safety specialists Steel River Consultants (SRC) have been selected to provide technical support for a project to construct an electricity link between the UK and Norway. The company will act as hazard identification (HAZID) facilitator and provide CDM support and health and safety advisory services to cable supplier Prysmian. The North Sea Link (NSL) project, a project owned 50 per cent each by National Grid and Statnett, will be the first direct electricity connection between the UK and Norway. At more than 720 kilometres cable route, it will be the world’s longest interconnector running from Blyth, in Northumberland, to Kvilldal, in Rogaland, on the Norwegian side. Prysmian has been awarded a contract to design, fabricate and install 2 x 470km of sub-sea cables and 2 x 2km of onshore cables which will be manufactured at the group’s factory in Naples and installed using its cable laying vessel the Giulio Verne. The interconnector will be installed by the end of 2021 and will allow Britain to import and export up to 1,400MW of electricity, enough to meet the annual power needs of almost a million homes. Chris Lawson, SRC’s regional manager said: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Prysmian and take great pride in working on such an exciting and important energy project.” energy offshore solutions eos projekt – technical project management, design, consultancy, permitting, site management for grid connections and the installation of offshore wind farms and energy transmission grids – competent and goal-orientated. eos projekt is a solid consultant and engineering office in its field. It is our goal to support all our projects by following solutionoriented approaches with our idea: „Competence meets Passion“ eos projekt GmbH Bürgermeister-Fink-Straße 7 D-30169 Hannover Page 8 Phone: +49 511 89 88 160 Fax: +49 511 89 88 161 Email: [email protected] project updates Europe Sweden ABB retraces its pioneering technology roots to upgrade world’s first HVDC link $22million upgrade to enable more renewable energy integration and boost grid reliability on the island of Gotland, Sweden. ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won orders worth over $22 million from Vattenfall Eldistribution AB to upgrade the world’s first commercial high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power transmission link, which ABB installed in 1954. This takes the company back to the roots of a game-changing technology it pioneered more than 60 years ago. The orders were booked in the fourth quarter of 2015. The 150-kilovolt (kV) link has the capacity to transmit 320 megawatts (MW) of power 100 kilometers from Västervik, on the east coast of mainland Sweden, to Ygne, on the island of Gotland. The link provides electricity to meet the needs of the 58,000 residents of Gotland and enables wind power, generated on the island, to be transmitted to the mainland. This upgrade will help enhance capacity and enable greater amount of wind power generation on Gotland, to be integrated into the grid for use both locally in Sweden and across borders. As a key element of the upgrade ABB will install its state-of-the-art MACH control and protection system, which is like the brain of an HVDC link. ABB’s MACH control system offers unmatched calculation capacity and a high degree of integration capability to handle control and protection functions, designed to run around the clock for 30 years or more. It also incorporates advanced fault registration and remote control functions. The cooling system will also be up- graded as part of the project. The upgrades replace aging equipment and will help improve security of power supply to the island. The addition of a modern operator interface will also help extend the lifetime of the link in addition to providing improved availability and functionality. The world’s first commercial HVDC transmission system installed by ABB between the island of Gotland and the Swedish mainland, came into operation in 1954. History was repeated when the world’s first interconnection using HVDC Voltage Sourced Converter (VSC) technology, called HVDC Light by ABB, was installed on Gotland in 1999. The HVDC installation has been progressively upgraded by ABB as this technology has developed, and the latest upgrade is another step in this direction. “Having pioneered HVDC technology by commissioning this first commercial link in 1954, we are proud to provide a new life to this critical asset. By enabling more wind power integration more people will benefit from clean renewable energy, helping to lower environmental impact” said Patrick Fragman, Managing Director of ABB’s Grid Systems business, part of the company’s Power Grids division. “This upgrade project reaffirms our Next Level strategy focus on providing our customers with differentiated value through technology, during the whole life cycle of build-up, operation and maintenance of their assets.” Page 9 Since it pioneered HVDC technology more than 60 years ago, ABB has been awarded over 110 projects, representing a total installed capacity of more than 120,000 megawatts and accounting for about half the global installed base. ABB continues to be a market and technology leader in this space and today, amongst its increasing number of applications, HVDC is playing a key role in integrating renewables, evacuating power efficiently and reliable across long distances and interconnecting regions and countries. About ABB ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility, industry, and transport and infrastructure customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in roughly 100 countries and employs about 140,000 people. project updates Europe Sweden Sotenäs Wave Energy Plant Delivers Power to Nordic Grid The Sotenäs Wave Power Plant on the Swedish West Coast has started generating electric power to the Nordic Electricity Grid. The connection of the six meter diameter buoys to the corresponding linear generator Wave Energy Converters on the seabed represents the final step in bringing each unit on line, together making up a system establishing many world firsts, including the world’s first multiple unit wave power plant and the World’s first subsea generator switchgear. “This is a very significant achievement”, says Prof. Mats Leijon, Seabased CEO. “We are very happy to have come this far and I wish to thank Fortum and the Swedish Energy Agency for their confidence and support all throughout this, sometimes tough, journey.” Seabased is continuing working on several other projects utilizing this concept. The Sotenäs Wave Power Plant is financed by Fortum, the Swedish Energy Agency and Seabased. Research and Development within Seabased is carried out in close cooperation with researchers at the Centre for Electric Renewable Energy Conversion at the Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University. med. According to Litgrid, during the test, electricity was flowing from Sweden to Lithuania and the other way round, with interconnec- tion operating at 30 megawatts. “Only after completely assured that other parts of the interconnection and their equipment were working flawlessly, we could proceed to one of the last stages of testing – power transmission. These tests and their outcome will define the reliability of the interconnection for the coming 30 years,” said Daivis Virbickas, Litgrid CEO and chairman of the board. The ability to transmit electricity between Klaipėda and Nybro, as well as various parameters and functionality of HVDC converters, will be tested for a week at least. During the tests, the load will be gradually increased until the maximum load capacity is reached. A cable of 700 MW capacity could cover around half of Lithuanian consumption needs on a warm winter day. NordBalt is implemented in cooperation with the Swedish TSO Svenska kraftnät. Lithuania - Sweden NordBalt Enters Testing Phase The NordBalt cable, connecting Lithuania and Sweden has started with power transmission tests, the Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator, Litgrid, infor- Page 10 project updates Europe Denmark Vattenfall Looking for ROV, UXO Survey Services Vattenfall Vindkraft A/S is seeking a contractor to carry out ROV inspection works of debris and potential UXO at its Horns Rev 3 offshore wind farm site off the Danish west coast. The contract will cover ROV inspection of debris and potential unexploded ordnance in water depths of 10m to 20m, with electromagnetic detectors on an ROV for redetection of anomalies identified during a previous survey and a forward-looking sonar and HD camera for live imaging from the ROV. The works will also include debris removal and sand removal for exposure of buried objects. Vattenfall also left an option to use the ves- sel as a platform for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operations, which are not part of scope in the current invitation for tenders. The works are planned to be performed during summer 2016 and will last for three months. Deadline for the submission of tenders is 28 February, 2016. In February last year, Vattenfall won the right to develop the 400MW wind farm comprising up to 51 MHI Vestas V1648.0MW turbines. Denmark Second Offshore Wind Farm Decommissioning on the Way DONG Energy is preparing to decommission world’s first offshore wind farm, located off Danish island of Lolland. company is preparing to retire the wind farm, said Leif Winther, who is responsible for DONG Energy’s Danish offshore wind After 25 years of operation, Vindeby’s turbines are worn down and therefore the farms. In the summer of 1991, the 4.95MW Vindeby Offshore Wind Farm, comprising Page 11 eleven 450kW wind turbines, fed the first offshore wind energy to the Danish grid. The same way it allowed for better understanding of offshore wind conditions and turbine design and operation, the wind farm can now again bring a competitive edge to Danish companies, but this time in the dismantling of offshore wind farms, which is still an unexplored field, according to DONG Energy. The company also said it is interested in a dialogue on the use of the wind farms’s infrastructure before the decommissioning starts. “There are cables with an associated substation onshore, and it might be interesting for companies interested in renewable energy. We would like to enter into dialogue with them prior to dismantling the wind farm,” Winther said. Last month, Vattenfall carried out the first ever decommissioning of an offshore wind farm by taking down its 10MW Yttre Stengrund wind farm in Sweden. project updates Europe Denmark Danish association wins 28-MW offshore wind demo project Wind turbine association Nissum Bredning Vindmollelaug has won a project to build, using 7-MW Siemens turbines, a 28-MW offshore wind farm in Danish waters for demonstration purposes. The Danish Energy Agency (DEA) announced this, saying that the project will be backed with a feed-in tariff (FiT) of DKK 0.70 (USD 0.105/EUR 0.094) per kWh for up to 11 years. The total funding for the scheme is estimated at about DKK 300 million. The award calls for Nissum Bredning Vindmollelaug to install and test four Siemens turbines on suction bucket jacket founda- tions in northwest Denmark. The developer believes that the technology could save 12.5% in both capital and operating costs. DEA noted that Siemens’ 7-MW machines have not yet been tested offshore. Finland Finland to Build 40 MW Offshore Wind Farm Finnish wind energy developer Suomen Hyötytuuli Oy will start building a 40 MW offshore wind farm in Pori this spring, the company informed. The project, worth almost EUR 120 million, is the world’s first offshore wind farm suitable for icy conditions, according to Suomen Hyötytuuli. Siemens will supply, install and commission ten of its 4 MW turbines, and will also be responsible for servicing them. Technip Offshore Finland will supply gravity-based steel foundations, while ABB is in charge of the substation and main transformers. “The construction expenses are nearly double the expenses required for onshore wind power, in particular due to the undersea foundations and cablings. The demonstration project at Tahkoluoto is used to determine a cost-efficient way of building wind power in Finnish conditions: the developing and growing business has room for new export products to lower the level of costs,” Toni Sulameri, the Managing Director of Suomen Hyötytuuli Oy, said. Construction will start with dredging this spring. The underground cable and substation will be installed between the up- coming and following summers, the foundations and undersea cable in spring and summer 2017. “The turbines will be erected in summer 2017, and the wind farm will produce energy in the autumn of the same year,” says Arto Huhmarkangas, Project Director for the offshore wind farm. In 2010, Siemens already supplied one 2.3MW turbine to Suomen Hyötytuuli for the Pori pilot project, which will now be surrounded by the ten wind turbines of the Tahkoluoto wind farm. Denmark - Germany Danish Minister Approves Baltic Sea Interconnection to Germany The Danish Minister for Energy, Utilities and Climate, Lars Christian Lilleholt, has approved Energinet.dk’s application for investment in a new interconnection between the Eastern Danish and German electricity grids via the Baltic Sea. Pursuant to the Danish Act on Energinet.dk, any investments in the transmission grid exceeding DKK 100 million must be approved by the Minister. “The Minister’s approval is important and helps create the future, cross-border elec- tricity market, where much more electricity must be traded back and forth across borders. On the one hand, Danish power stations and wind turbine owners can sell more electricity to German consumers and make a profit on it. On the other hand, Danish consumers can buy electricity in Germany, for example when the wind is not blowing and the wind turbines are not spinning. This makes the green transition less expensive and more effective,” said Torben Glar Nielsen, Executive Vice President, CTO, at Energinet.dk. Page 12 (continues on p. 13) project updates Europe (continued) Denmark - Germany Danish Minister Approves Baltic Sea Interconnection to Germany The connection will have a capacity of 400 megawatt (MW) and is a joint project between Energinet.dk and the German transmission system operator 50Hertz. It is the world’s first interconnection between two countries that also connects two countries’ offshore wind farms, Energinet.dk wrote. The Danish offshore wind farm, Kriegers Flak, which the Folketing decided to erect in the Baltic Sea based on the energy agreement from 2012, will be connected to the submarine cables, which run from the German side to the two German offshore wind farms Baltic 1 and Baltic 2. As the interconnection connects two different electricity areas, it is necessary to build a facility in Bentwisch which can synchronise electricity from the Eastern Danish and German systems. With the approval, the Danish-German project can start entering contracts with suppliers. The CGS connection must be ready by the end of 2018. Germany SeaVex Refurbishment wins Estuary Power Cable burial After a 4 week refurbishment of the recently acquired SeaVex, Pharos Offshore currently has a team of 7 personnel manning the Mass Flow Excavator. SeaVex is based on a hybrid subsea excavation system which is extremely adaptable, compact and controllable. The equipment houses a large single cast impellor complete with direct drive and torque restrictor driven by a powerful compact hydraulic motor. Fitted with adjustable sized outlet nozzles at the base of the tool it allows enhanced kPa cutting of a comprehensive range of seabed materials. Each system is fitted with a Narrow Beam Imager for live monitoring of operations. SeaVex, currently on-board the DPV Supporter, will be burying a live Power Cable section of 100m to a depth of 4m in the Estuary of the River Weser, Germany. Reacting quickly to customer requirements the system was prepared and shipped wi- Page 13 thin 5 days. Pharos Offshore delivers engineering solutions for subsea cable installation, maintenance and repair. We work with clients across the offshore Oil & Gas, Submarine Telecoms and Renewable Power industries. Our in-house expertise includes highly skilled and experienced offshore technical professionals and on-shore engineering management and operational support teams. Pharos Offshore develops subsea cable handling and burial solutions, including vehicle and handling systems, with a proven track record in taking projects from concept design, delivery, testing and on-going support. We deliver innovative engineering solutions by combining state of the art technology with knowledge gained from real operational experience. Pharos offshore personnel are experienced in all major manufacturers of Remote Operated Vehicles, Plough systems and Launch and Recovery Systems. Our multi-disciplined team have an extensive track record in subsea trenching, survey and ROV support. project updates Europe Germany Seabed Preparation Starts for Veja Mate OWF Seabed preparation work has begun at Veja Mate, a 402MW offshore project located 95 km North West from the island of Borkum in the German North Sea. The Veja Mate offshore wind park will con- sist of 67 Siemens 6MW turbines using the “world’s largest” monopiles. A two-layered scour protection system, designed to avoid natural scour erosion, using stones of select size and thickness, will allow for the post installation of the monopiles. Actual foundation installation is scheduled for April 2016, marking the construction start of the project. Rasmus Miller, Foundation Package Manager, stated, “A lot of hard work, from both our contractors, and our Veja Mate project team has been done to get ready for the seabed preparation. Beginning preconstruction work just 6 months after funding is an extremely short time schedule; I am happy that the Foundation Package has got off to a good start.” Knud Andersen, Chief Operations Officer, added, “I am very pleased with our agile, high-performing international team. We at Veja Mate are seriously committed to making Germany’s energy supply greener by increasing its use of clean wind power.” When fully operational in 2018, Veja Mate will produce over 1.6 TWh of electricity annually for 400,000 households in Germany. Germany Heerema to Build and Install BorWin3 Jacket Heerema Fabrication Group (HFG) has been awarded a contract from Petrofac for the procurement & construction of the jacket and piles for BorWin3. Petrofac, in a consortium with Siemens, has the full responsibility for the construction and offshore installation of the BorWin3 platform of TenneT, which will house a Siemens HVDC station that converts the alternating current produced by the wind turbines to direct current before transmitting it onshore to the German national grid. Petrofac will do the engineering and HFG Page 14 from its Vlissingen facilities will undertake the fabrication of the HVDC substation jacket and piles. Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) will transport and install the jacket in the North Sea at a water depth of up to 40 metres and approximately 100 kilometres off the German coast. Fabrication will start in the third quarter of 2016 and the sail away is scheduled for March 2018. project updates Europe Germany Trianel Windpark Borkum Phase II Offers Cabling Job Trianel Windkraftwerk Borkum II GmbH & Co. KG has issued a tender invitation for production, installation, and turnkey installation of the inner park cabling within an offshore wind farm in the EEZ. The Trianel Windpark Borkum is the first offshore wind farm to have been established under the direction of Trianel Windkraft- werk Borkum GmbH & Co. KG with the exclusive involvement of 33 municipal utilities and regional energy suppliers. In mid-July 2015, Trianel had put 40 wind turbines with a capacity of 200 megawatts, which are located approximately 45 kilometres off the coast of the North Sea island of Borkum, into full operation. In October Germany Dalby’s ASV Pioneer Grabs New Job in Germany Dalby’s ASV Pioneer is heading to Northern Germany to carry out cable repair works for an undisclosed German client. Prior to this engagement, the vessel underwent refit in Gdansk in Poland at the end of 2015. The vessel secured new work after completing cable remediation on the Baltic 2 Offshore Wind Farm during 2015 for Norddeutsche Seekabelwerke GmbH. According to Dalby, the Pioneer will potentially be available again in April 2016. Page 15 last year, the municipally anchored EWE AG from Oldenburg and the cooperation of municipal utilities Trianel from Aachen have sealed a joint venture for the collaborative development of the second expansion stage of the Trianel wind farm Borkum (TWB II) with 200 MW. The second stage, with a further 40 turbines, should boost the capacity to supply about 200,000 households with eco-electricity. The TWB II contract The contract concerns the production and turnkey installation of the inner park cabling within the wind farm to connect a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 34 of the offshore wind park’s wind turbine generators of TWB II. Production 33 (36)-kV submarine cable with fibre optic cable, laying in waters approx. 30m LAT, laying 1.5m burial depth in the seabed; overall approx. 50-55 km of cable in 29-39 separate cable links, as well as assembly, hang-off and testing of the cable up to the point that it is ready for commissioning. The contractor is also required to provide storage for the cables at an appropriate port near the construction site. The deadline for the submission of tenders is February 26, 2016. project updates Europe Germany Next Geosolutions Starts CWA Project Cable Route Survey UK-based geoscience and engineering services provider, Next Geosolutions, has resu- med operations on CWA Project with its SV Kommandor Iona permanently fitted with a comprehensive survey spread. The Cluster West of Adlergrund (CWA) project consist of multiple 220kV AC grid connections of the two offshore wind parks (OWP) “Arkona Basin South-East” and “Wikinger” located in the western Baltic Sea off the north-eastern coast of Germany. The export cables corridor is approximately 90km in length from the landfall at Lubmin to each substation platform (SSP) of the OWP. Currently, three HVAC cables are planned. The S/V Kommandor Iona will undertake a 3-month geophysical, geotechnical & UXO survey campaign to complete Next Geosolutions scope of work started back in 2015 with a 7-month survey programme onshore, nearshore and offshore. Germany Riffgat OWF Out of Action until End of April Oldenburg-based utility EWE will not see any power coming from its 113.4 MW Riffgat offshore wind farm until the end of April due to a malfunction on the subsea cable some 22 kilometres off the coast, Mathias Fischer, a spokesperson for the grid operator TenneT TSO stated. The wind farm has been offline since November 2015 when the export cable suf- Page 16 fered a short circuit. The cable producer NKT is currently searching for the source of the malfunction. Bad weather conditions are slowing down the repair efforts and the wind farm ”may not energise again before 24th of April 2016,” Fischer said. TenneT connected the Riffgat OWF to the grid back in February 2014, following months of delays due to the unexploded ordnance left from the World War Two, which needed to be cleared from the seabed, creating EUR 100 million of additional costs. This is the second time the farm had to stop producing power due to faulty cables. The farm was shut down in August 2014 after the cable connecting the wind farm to the grid was affected during the work on Dolwin converter station, and needed to be stabilised. Comprising 30 SWT-3.6-120 Siemens wind turbines, the Riffgat offshore wind farm is located 15 kilometers to the north-west of the German island of Borkum. project updates Europe Germany EnBW to Help Out Iberdrola with Wikinger EnBW and Iberdrola have concluded a contract under which EnBW will provide services for the construction of the Wikinger offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea. The two-year contract covers services dealing with the coordination of shipping traffic, helath and safety and environmental protection at the construction site. The EnBW Offshore Team will share their knowhow and expertise acquired during the construction of its Baltic 1 and 2 offshore wind farms. Following the construction of the two EnBW offshore wind farms Baltic 1 and Baltic 2, Wikinger will be the third wind farm in the German part of the Baltic Sea. Nikolaus Elze, Head of Technology in the Generation and Operation business unit at EnBW: “The conclusion of this contract represents a new example of cooperation in the offshore wind industry that will benefit both companies.” Jürgen Blume, country manager for Iberdrola in Germany said: “As the installation of Wikinger project draws nearer, this contract will ensure that the best practices in terms of quality control, health and safety and respect for the environment are implemented throughout the entire construction phase while securing completion and grid connection by 2017. “In March, the first foundation piles will be rammed into the seabed and preparations for the cable installation will commence. This agreement showcases the strong partnership between offshore wind developers in the Baltic Sea.” Performing solutions. The €1.4 billion Wikinger offshore wind farm will comprise 70 wind turbines with a total output of 350 megawatts. Once in operation, it will produce electricity equivalent to the consumption of more than 350,000 German households. As with EnBW Baltic 2, the installation and logistical base will be located in SassnitzMukran on the island of Rügen. The system components will be transported to the construction site from the Port of Sassnitz. TAGU - Tiefbau GmbH Unterweser offers • submarine cable installation • submarine cable repair works • cable landfall constructions • offshore services and logistics • HDD landfalls • marine and harbour construction CLB VETAG 8 [email protected] +49 441 9704 555 Page 17 ® project updates Europe Germany E.ON Switches Amrumbank West On, Says Time for Offshore Wind Is Now E.ON has officially put into operation the recently upgraded 302 MW Amrumbank West offshore wind farm during a symbolic ceremony held in Hamburg. Referring to Amrumbank West as “technology at its best,” E.ON’s CEO Johannes Teyssen called for the continued expansion of offshore wind. “Every energy has its time, and the time for expanding offshore wind is definitely now. Offshore will be needed if we want to achieve the targets of the energy transition,” Teyssen said. Teyssen added that E.ON would remain committed to this field of business, focusing in particular on cutting the cost of renewable energy generation. The Amrumbank West is situated 35 kilometers north of Helgoland. E.ON is inve- sting a total of EUR 1 billion in the project. Hamburg’s First Mayor Olaf Scholz said: “Amrumbank West is another lighthouse project for wind power at sea, which must be followed by further offshore wind projects to make sure the energy industry and industrial policy potential of offshore wind is not left untapped. Hamburg and the federal states of northern Germany support plans to push ahead with the network infrastructure and the construction of further wind farms. Clean power is needed all over Germany and green electricity from the North Sea gives the German energy transition the necessary support.” Under the motto “Energy and climate protection for future generations” the guests of honor at the ceremony were supported during the start-up by children from a Hamburg primary school. Germany Sandbank Project on Time despite Bad Weather The construction of the 288 MW Sandbank offshore wind farm in the North Sea is progressing well, with 69 out of 72 foundations now in place, and the installation of the turbines scheduled to start in the summer, according to Vattenfall. The offshore construction work commenced last summer; however, rough weather conditions in November and December with almost 12-metre waves prohibited offshore works most of the time. The cable work has also already started Page 18 and two lines of cables have been installed. Sandbank’s substation with its helideck has been assembled and will be installed on site during the spring. A Hydro-Sound-Damper – consisting of a net with plastic components – and a “bubble curtain” were used during the installation of the foundations in order to reduce the underwater noise. project updates Europe Germany DONG Energy to Develop another OWF Project in Germany DONG Energy has acquired project rights for OWP West offshore wind farm from Erste Nordsee-Offshore-Holding GmbH, a company owned by STRABAG and Northern Energy Projects. Information about the acquisition first appeared in late December 2015, after DONG Energy took over the project on 16 December, 2015, according to STRABAG OW EVS website. DONG Energy today confirmed to Offshore WIND that it had acquired the rights for the OWP West project. The company did not disclose any further details, saying that the project is currently in a very early stage of development. With the licence for OWP West in its hands, DONG Energy now owns all licences in German offshore wind Cluster 1 in the North Sea, which also includes Borkum Riffgrund West 1 and 2. In April 2014, Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany (BSH) issued a construction and operating licence for the OWP West project, which comprises 41 wind turbines with a nominal capacity 5-8 MW. Germany Nordergründe offshore windfarm secures another investor wpd AG is making final preparations to begin construction of the Nordergründe offshore wind project. Groundbreaking is set for spring 2016 with the commissioning scheduled for the end of 2016. Debt funding for the €410 million project was arranged in June 2015 by the European Investment Bank and KfW IPEX Bank, however a new co-investor, Gothaer Leben Renewables, has recently acquired an equity stake in the project. “We are very pleased that we have been able to secure Gothaer as an equity investor for Nordergründe,” said Helge Rau, head of M&A at wpd AG. wpd said it plans to attract further investors for the project. wpd is responsible for construction and operation of the Nordergründe project. A total of 18 Senvion 6.2M126 turbines will be erected in the estuary of the river Weser. The total capacity of the project is 110.7MW. Nordergründe will be connected to the grid by grid operator Tennet. Germany TenneT TSO GmbH Looking For AC Subsea Cable Supplier Bayreuth-based TenneT TSO GmbH has, via DC-Netz BorWin3 GmbH, issued a tender for a supplier of an AC submarine cable to link an offshore wind farm in the German North Sea to the grid connection system. The tender calls for manufacture, supply and installation of the subsea cable in the Cluster 8 of the German Exclusive Economic Zone, including compensation, fibre- optic cable, cable performance, etc. The cable must be designed for a transmission capacity of 500 MW and a voltage level of approximately 155 kv, as well as for a connection to the electrical device of the respective offshore platform. The duration of the project is 36 months, and the tender deadline is 9 March 2016. The applicants can submit their bids either Page 19 in German or in English. DC Netz BorWin3 GmbH is responsible for the construction, maintenance and management of the BorWin3 connection system that links a number of offshore wind farms located in the North Sea with the high-voltage grid of TenneT TSO GmbH. ADVERTORIAL Page 20 project updates Europe The Netherlands New Offshore Grid Bill on the Way to Dutch Parliament A new legislative proposal, appointing TenneT as the grid administrator at sea, will be submitted to Dutch Parliament this month. This new proposal is necessary, because otherwise the understandings reached in the Energy Agreement cannot be achieved by 2020, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl) said. The agency further explained that first and second tender in the Borssele wind energy area will only be fully considered for the 14% renewable energy target in 2020, if the new law will go into effect no later than 1 April 2016. In this way, the first subsidy tender can be concluded at the beginning of May 2016 and the second one at the end of September 2016. This is all stated in a memorandum to the Dutch Lower House. On the 22 December, 2015, the Dutch Upper House rejected an earlier legislative proposal, called the Stroom bill. Page 21 project updates Europe The Netherlands – Denmark TenneT concludes contracts with Prysmian and Siemens for construction of ‘green’ subsea cable between Netherlands and Denmark Dutch Transmission System Operator (TSO) TenneT and its Danish counterpart Energinet.dk have signed contracts with Siemens and Prysmian for the construction of the COBRAcable between the Netherlands and Denmark. Siemens will supply two converter stations for the direct-current (DC) connection: one in Eemshaven (Netherlands) and one in Endrup (Denmark). Prysmian will supply the DC cables and offshore installation works. Scheduled for completion in 2019, the COBRA cable is a new, over 350 kilometres long subsea DC connection (interconnector) that will create a direct link between the Dutch and Danish power grids. The cable will have a total capacity of 700 MW, which equivalents to the annual electricity consumption of 700.000 households. ‘Green’ cable TenneT CEO Mel Kroon commented: “Siemens and Prysmian are excellent partners to undertake the realization of this important project. One main purpose of the COBRA cable is to transport electricity between the Netherlands and Denmark. This will promote further competition in the Northwest European energy market, which will ultimately benefit consumers. Because we are directly linking the Dutch and Danish power grids, the security of supply for businesses and consumers in both countries will increase. Plus the Netherlands and Denmark will be able to exchange more wind energy since the wind in both countries is not blowing with the same force on every moment." Switching between alternating and direct current The new interconnector will have VSC-technology (Voltage Source Converters) with transmission capacity of 700 megawatts (MW), and will run between Eemshaven (Netherlands) and Endrup (Denmark). The Prysmian Group cableship Giulio Verne during loading operations in Arco Felice (Naples, Italy) connection will be constructed as a HighVoltage Direct Current (HVDC) cable, since the use of DC technology minimizes transmission losses over long distances and therefore virtually eliminates any loss of renewable electricity. Two so-called ‘converter stations’ will be built onshore in the Netherlands (at Eemshaven) and in Denmark (at Endrup) to ensure that electricity supplied by the alternating-current (AC) grids of TenneT and Energinet.dk can be imported and exported across the DC cable link. These stations convert outgoing alternating current into direct current, and incoming direct current into alternating current. All onshore power grids are based on AC technology. Converter station showing the INELFE-project using Siemens HVDC-Plus power modules. The same type will also be used in the COBRAcable project. The COBRA cable will have positive socioeconomic effects in the Netherlands as well as Denmark. TenneT and Energinet.dk expect to invest more than EUR 600 million Page 22 in the project, which will benefit consumers and businesses in both countries. Each TSO has a 50 percent stake in the COBRA project. COBRA cable to be part of future offshore grid COBRA is an abbreviation of ‘COpenhagen BRussels Amsterdam’. The European Commission is supporting the COBRA project with a EUR 86.5 million subsidy under the European Energy Programme for Recovery (EEPR). The subsidy was granted to the COBRA cable because this project can be integrated into a future offshore electricity grid in the North Sea, will promote competition in the electricity market, and will contribute to the integration of large volumes of wind energy in the grid. Other subsea electricity cables The COBRA cable is not the first subsea electricity connection constructed by TenneT. In 2008 the TSO completed the NorNed cable between the Netherlands and Norway, the world’s longest DC cable link (capacity: 700 MW, length: 580 km). This was followed in 2011 by the BritNed cable between the Netherlands and the UK (capacity: 1000 MW, length: 260 km). In addition to the new COBRA cable, TenneT is currently also working on the NordLink project: a 1,400 MW subsea cable link between Germany and Norway. All subsea cables use HVDC technology. project updates Europe The Netherlands - Denmark Siemens Receives €170M COBRAcable Order Siemens has been awarded an order for COBRAcable, a link between the Dutch and Danish power grids, by Danish power grid service provider Energinet.dk and its Dutch counterpart TenneT TSO. Siemens will supply two HVDC converter stations at both sides of the DC power line, which will be routed as a subsea cable through the North Sea. The cable will be supplied by the Italian company Prysmian The scope of the order covers two 700 MW converter stations for a DC voltage of ±320 Kilovolt (kV). The two converter stations, one at Eemhaven in Holland, the other in Endrup in Denmark, will be linked by a 325-kilometer long DC power cable. Energinet.dk will be responsible for all the construction work in Endrup for erecting the building to house the Siemens converter equipment at that station. Siemens will supply the turn-key converter station in Eemshaven. The scope of the order includes the system design and the supply, installation and commissioning of all components. The volume of Siemens’ share of the order is around EUR 170 million. The COBRAcable HVDC link has been designated as one of the European Commission’s projects of common interest to help create an integrated European Union energy market. The construction of COBRAcable is scheduled to start this year and the link is expected to take up commercial operation at the beginning of 2019. TenneT CEO Mel Kroon commented: “One main purpose of the COBRA cable is to promote competition in the Northwest European energy market, which will ultimately benefit consumers. Because we are directly linking the Dutch and Danish power grids, the security of supply for businesses and consumers in both countries will also increase. Plus the Netherlands will be able to import more renewable electricity, generated mainly by Danish wind turbine farms.” The Netherlands - Denmark Contract worth around € 250 M for a submarine power cable link between the Netherlands and Denmark Prysmian Group, world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, has been awarded a new contract worth around € 250 million for an HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) submarine interconnector that will link Denmark and the Netherlands, by TenneT TSO B.V. and Energinet.dk SOV, the operators of the Dutch and of the Danish power transmission grids, respectively. The COBRAcable (“COpenhagen BRussels Amsterdam”cable) will provide benefit to the electricity grids of both countries involved, as it will make Dutch power capacity structurally available to Denmark and vice versa, increasing security of supply and enabling the further integration of renewable energy into the electricity grids.The COBRAcable interconnector will therefore contribute to the realisation of a sustainable international energy landscape, a key aim of the European Union, who is to support the project through the EEPR (European Energy Programme for Recovery). The connection will be constructed using High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology, which minimizes transmission losses over the long distances involved. “This important award reconfirms our prominent role in the submarine cables sector - states Massimo Battaini Senior Vice President Energy Projects at Prysmian Group - as well as acknowledging our commitment to the development of smarter and greener power grids. We are very pleased and most proud of having been chosen alongside Siemens to undertake this challenging project by reputed and long standing customers“. The contract awarded to Prysmian involves the turn-key supply and installation of an HVDC bipole - using single core cables with extruded insulation technology - that will operate at a voltage level of ±320 kV with a rating of approximately 700 MW, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of all households in the cities of Rotterdam and Amsterdam combined. It will run along a Page 23 total route of around 325 kilometres, from Eemshaven (NL) to Endrup (DK) via the German sector of the North Sea, and will include two onshore lengths of 1 km on the Dutch side and 25 km on the Danish side to link to the onshore converter stations, which are to be provided under separate contract by Siemens. All cables will be produced in Arco Felice (near Naples, Italy) and Pikkala (near Helsinki, Finland), the Group's centres of technological and manufacturing excellence for submarine cables. Prysmian is currently building on recent investments made in its Pikkala factory with a further approximately € 10 million upgrade to existing production lines, to significantly increase its manufacturing capacity of extruded HV submarine cables.The marine cable laying activities, which will be performed by the Group’s own cable-laying vessels, the Cable Enterprise and the Giulio Verne, will also see the use of their newly acquired barge. (continues on p.24) project updates Europe (continued) The Netherlands - Denmark Contract worth around € 250 M for a submarine power cable link between the Netherlands and Denmark Following the completion of its conversion in the next months, which shall include the fitting of a 7000 mT turntable, this barge shall offer Prysmian an extended and versatile range of installation capabilities, not least with its suitability for shallow water cable installation. Delivery of the cable system is scheduled by the 3rd Quarter of 2018. About Prysmian Group Prysmian Group is world leader in the ener- gy and telecom cables and systems industry. With more than 130 years of experience, sales of nearly €7 billion in 2014, some 19,000 employees across 50 countries and 89 plants, the Group is strongly positioned in high-tech markets and offers the widest possible range of products, services, technologies and know-how. It operates in the businesses of underground and submarine cables and systems for power transmission and distribution, of special cables for ap- plications in many different industries and of medium and low voltage cables for the construction and infrastructure sectors. For the telecommunications industry, the Group manufactures cables and accessories for voice, video and data transmission, offering a comprehensive range of optical fibres, optical and copper cables and connectivity systems. Prysmian is a public company, listed on the Italian Stock Exchange in the FTSE MIB index. France DCNS Deploys First Paimpol-Bréhat Tidal Turbine in France The first tidal turbine for the Paimpol-Brehat tidal project has been installed by DCNS off the coast of Brittany, France. The Paimpol-Brehat project, jointly developed by EDF and DCNS, will see another tidal turbine installed at the project site in the following months. The first turbine was deployed using dedicated barge designed by DCNS/Open- Hydro, with the help of twenty employees from the two companies. DCNS will now connect the turbine to the French grid using the subsea converter constructed by GE. The converter will transfer power produced by turbines to an onshore substation in Ploubazlanec that will feed the electricity to the French grid. UK - France New Survey for FAB Link Interconnector Underway FAB Link interconnector, between France, the Channel Islands and the UK has come a step closer with new surveys taking place off East Devon and Alderney. The team behind the FAB Link is planning to lay two pairs of electricity cables between the Cherbourg peninsula in Normandy in northern France, and Devon. The interconnector will be able to carry power generated in Britain to France and vice versa. In addition, it will route via the Channel Island of Alderney in order to pick up elec- tricity which will be generated by a tidal stream power plant that is proposed in the island’s waters. Survey work at the proposed ‘landing site’ at Budleigh Salterton beach in East Devon has been taking place last week following initial work in the summer of 2015. Declan Gaudion, of Alderney Renewable Energy, one of the partners in the FAB Link project, said: “Alderney has some of the strongest tides in the world, and we intend to harness their power, which when fully developed, will generate enough electricity Page 24 to power at least 1.8 million homes. “The FAB Link interconnector will enable us to export this clean, reliable and renewable energy to consumers in Britain and France and beyond.” Chris Jenner, from FAB Link, said: “The aim of our interconnector is to provide extra security of supply to both Britain and France, while at the same time helping to keep down prices for the consumer. “Once the tidal power from Alderney is online, we’ll also be able to provide very low carbon electricity to the people of Britain (continues on p.25) project updates Europe (continued) UK - France New Survey for FAB Link Interconnector Underway and the rest of Europe. “Here in the UK we’re looking into the feasibility of bringing our undersea cables ashore at Budleigh Salterton. We’re currently analysing data from engineering and environmental offshore surveys of the planned undersea route just off the coast. “The response from all the local stakeholders we’ve started discussions with has been very positive. “Once we have laid the cables underground we will reinstate the land so that it looks just as it did before we arrived. Nevertheless, we aim to hold a series of meetings with interested members of the public in the summer so we can hear what people think about our proposals.” Gro Wæraas de Saint Martin, from RTE in France, said: “The project has won the approval of the Commission of the European Union because it will greatly increase energy security on both sides of the English Channel and beyond. Linking national grids in this way means that as more renewable energy sources are developed across Europe, the benefits of low-carbon power can Marine ingenuity In just two words, marine ingenuity, we express that we are passionate dredging and marine contractors with a worldwide innovative approach to meet your challenges. Our people - who manage a versatile fleet - specialise in dredging, marine engineering and offshore projects (oil, gas and wind). www.vanoord.com Sustainable EPC and Marine Contractors Page 25 be enjoyed by as many consumers as possible.” project updates Europe UK Statoil chooses Nexans to supply cables for the world's first floating wind farm Statoil has awarded Nexans the contract to supply static and dynamic cabling and associated accessories for the world’s first floating wind farm, following a successful demo facilitated by Nexans’ cables which has been in operation since 2009. Following the initial Norway demo, Statoil has awarded Nexans a new contract worth approximately 10.2 million Euro to service the Hywind Scotland Pilot Park wind farm. Nexans will deliver cables to the site, located 30km off the coast of Aberdeenshire. The offshore cable systems will be tested, sealed off, prepared for pull-in and delivered in individual lengths ready for installation. The cables will be tested and manufactured at Nexans’ specialized facility in Halden, Norway, before completing delivery by the end of 2017. The pilot 30MW floating farm will be made up of five wind turbine generators connected through an inter-array cable network before feeding into a single export cable carrying energy back to land in Peterhead, Scotland. Following the successful Norway demo, the project, assisted by Nexans, will demonstrate technological improvements, installation and operation of multiple floating wind turbines, as well as examine the cost efficiency of the park configuration. Dirk Steinbrink, Senior Executive Vice President High Voltage & Underwater Cable Business Group at Nexans said, “This project is a great example of Nexans pioneering alternative offshore wind design, extending the options for renewable energy generation. The contract establishes Nexans as leaders in offshore wind innovation by designing specialist cables for both the initial pilot project and the Hywind Pilot Park. We are proud to be able to support Statoil as it helps the Scottish government realize its commitment to 100% renewable energy by 2020.” The Hywind project will generate green energy to power roughly 20,000 homes, and will lead the way to developing larger floating wind farms in other areas after an initial two-year testing period. About Nexans Nexans brings energy to life through an extensive range of cables and cabling solutions that deliver increased performance for our customers worldwide. Nexans’ teams are committed to a partnership approach that supports customers in four main busi- ness areas: Power transmission and distribution (submarine and land), Energy resources (Oil & Gas, Mining and Renewables), Transportation (Road, Rail, Air, Sea) and Building (Commercial, Residential and Data Centers). Nexans’ strategy is founded on continuous innovation in products, solutions and services, employee development, customer training and the introduction of safe, lowenvironmental-impact industrial processes. In 2013, Nexans became the first cable player to create a Foundation to introduce sustained initiatives for access to energy for disadvantaged communities worldwide. Nexans is an active member of Europacable, the European Association of Wire & Cable Manufacturers, and a signatory of the Europacable Industry Charter. The Charter expresses its members' commitment to the principles and objectives of developing ethical, sustainable and high-quality cables. We have an industrial presence in 40 countries and commercial activities worldwide, employing close to 26,000 people and generating sales in 2014 of 6.4 billion euros. Nexans is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris, compartment A. For more information, please consult: www. nexans.com UK Norfolk Marine Provides Scour Remediation for Scroby Sands Norfolk Marine has completed installation of its TFN scour remediation system to E.ON’s Scroby Sands offshore wind farm. The system has been installed to 5 monopile foundations on the site to provide protection against further scouring of the seabed at the foundation bases. After testing and development including scale modelling at HR Wallingford’s new Fast Flow Facility the TFN system was installed in late 2015. According to Norfolk Marine, the TFN System captures and maintains natural seabed sediments so reinstating the seabed with naturally occurring materials, this not only prevents further scouring around base of subsea structures but offers protecting to cables at the critical interface between trench and J tube. For new build sites the system can be installed after monopile and Page 26 cable installation has been completed. “Our analysis of the short term impacts showed that the nets were effective in preventing and reducing scour around monopile foundations,” HR Wallingford said. E.ON operations & maintenance manager, Steve Johnson, commented: “The TFN System developed by Norfolk Marine Ltd gives a cost effective alternative to rock dumping or sand/stone filled geotextile bags. The TFNs can be easily removed for cable maintenance, and can be reinstalled, without the need for expensive dredging.” project updates Europe UK JDR Supplies Umbilicals for West Brae Field JDR has been awarded a contract by Marathon Oil for the design and manufacture of 11.3 kilometers of power and static subsea umbilicals with accompanying termination hardware for the West Brae field. The full scope of the award will be manufactured and deployed from JDR’s Hartlepool, UK facility where they are currently expanding their manufacture footprint with the installation of a helical lay-up machine (HLM) to accompany their existing vertical lay-up machine (VLM). West Brae is located in the UK Central North Sea, approximately 140 miles north east of Aberdeen. Delivery is scheduled for July 2016. David Currie, CEO of JDR, said: “This is a very exciting win for JDR and we are proud to partner with Marathon Oil on this prestigious contract. It’s contracts like these that cement our decision to prepare for future projects with the addition of our new HLM. Our expansion will allow for further capacity for simultaneous umbilical and cable manufacture as well as expanding our steel-tube and thermoplastic umbilical capabilities.” UK Route Clearance to Begin on Western Link Project Route clearance operations are set to begin in the Irish Sea and the North Channel as part of Western Link Project. The route clearance, which will be con- ducted in preparation for the future deep water installation campaigns of the Western Link HVDC cable, is expected to be completed beginning of February 2016. The operations to be carried out at seven locations, will involve locating and cutting through the Out of Service (OOS) cables that cross the Western Link HVDC cable route. The cables will be located using a de-trenching grapnel, and will be cut at the seabed by a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The severed sections of the cable will be recovered and removed from the area. The remaining OOS cable will remain undisturbed on the seabed. Out of seven locations where the operations will be conducted, six are in the North Channel, between Northern Ireland and the Mull of Galloway. The seventh site is located between Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. The work on the route clearance will be undertaken by Go Pegasus vessel. UK SPR, Vattenfall Discover WWI German Submarine at East Anglia OWF Whilst undertaking detailed seabed scanning for the development of wind farm projects in the East Anglia Zone, ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) and Vattenfall uncovered an ‘uncharted’ wreck of a WWI German submarine, missing in action since 1915. Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables’ project director for the East Anglia ONE wind farm said: “The scanning team were expecting to see wrecks, but such a discovery was quite a surprise and has been extremely interesting.” SPR and Vattenfall used sonar technology to scan over 6,000 km2 of the seabed in the Southern North Sea over two years. Although more than 60 wrecks were discoPage 27 vered during the scanning work, most of these were anticipated, but the uncharted submarine 90 km from shore was entirely unexpected, SPR wrote. Andy Paine, Vattenfall project director of East Anglia Offshore Wind Farm said: “Following the discovery the team reported its findings to the relevant authorities, including RoW (Receiver of Wreck) in the UK. The seabed scanning had been undertaken by Netherlands-owned company Fugro, and their team made us aware of the Dutch (continues on p. 28) project updates Europe (continued) UK SPR, Vattenfall Discover WWI German Submarine at East Anglia OWF Navy’s hunt for its last remaining missing WWII submarine. “We were all extremely keen to make contact with the Dutch Navy to see if this could be the submarine they have been looking for over so many years: could we at last have solved the mystery?” The Royal Netherlands Navy was notified to investigate whether it was Dutch military submarine HNLMS O13, which went missing in action in June 1940, after the crew were tasked to patrol the waters between Denmark and Norway. The wreck discovered within the East Anglia Zone is 57.6 metres in length, 4.1 metres in width and 4.6 metres in height and the bow appears to be facing south. Damage was observed at the bow and the stern, so the original length could be slightly longer than it appears and debris surrounding the wreck suggests a more likely length of over 60 metres (but less than 70m). The footage taken by the Dutch Navy divers highlighted clear images of the conning tower and deck lay-out, which suggested the wreck was of German origin. From German drawings it was identified that this was a WWI German submarine: Type U-31. A database of reference books shows that only U-boats U-31 and U-34 had been lost in this area of the North Sea. Commander (Retired) Jouke Spoelstra of the RNL Navy/Submarine Service, who heads up project ‘Search for O-13’ said: “Whilst it was disappointing from our per- spective when we realised the wreck was not that of O-13, we conducted several dives with divers of the minehunter HNLMS Makkum and with a REMUS UAV sonar team with the aim to achieve clearer footage of the wreck and undertake investigative work to ascertain its identity. It wasn’t an easy job and several dives were required before any real progress was made due to the sea conditions surrounding the site meaning we couldn’t obtain any evidence revealing the exact identity. Fortunately on a recent dive undertaken by the Lamlash North Sea Diving team they had good conditions and so were able to achieve clear footage and finally identify the wreck.” Three years after its initial discovery (in September 2012) the wreck was officially identified as German submarine, U-31, which left for patrol on 13 January 1915 never to return. The wreck is approximately 90km offshore in the North Sea but sits on the seabed at a depth of only 30 metres. Mark Dunkley, marine archaeologist at Historic England adds: “SM U-31 was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy in September 1914. On 13th January 1915, the U-31 slipped its mooring and sailed northwest from Wilhelmshaven for a routine patrol and disappeared. It is thought that U-31 had struck a mine off England’s east coast and sank with the loss of its entire complement of 4 officers, 31 men.” “U-31 was the first of eleven Type U-31 submarines built between 1912 and 1915. The class were considered very good high sea boats with good surface steering; 8 were sunk during operations while 3 surrendered and were scrapped after the war. Of those lost during operations, the whereabouts and fate of two, including U-31, was unknown. “The discovery and identification of SM U-31 by ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall, lying some 91km east of Caisteron-Sea, Norfolk, is a significant achievement. After being on the seabed for over a century, the submarine appears to be in a remarkable condition with the conning tower present and the bows partially buried. “Relatives and descendants of those lost in the U-31 may now take some comfort in knowing the final resting place of the crew and the discovery serves as a poignant reminder of all those lost at sea, on land and in the air during the First World War.” ScottishPower Renewables’ Charlie Jordan concludes: “Unravelling the whole story behind the submarine has been fascinating and it’s heartening to know that the discovery will provide closure to relatives and descendants of the submariners lost who may have always wondered what had happened to their loved ones.” As an official military maritime grave, the wreck of U-31 will remain in its final resting place and plans for any offshore windfarm development will be progressed ensuring no disturbance to the area, SPR added. to Great Britain, or in a Renewable Energy Zone, “for the purpose of giving a supply to any premises or enabling a supply to be so given”. Galloper offshore wind farm will comprise 56 Siemens 6 MW wind turbines. It is estimated that the average annual generati- on expected at the site will be equivalent to the approximate domestic needs of around 336,000 average UK households. The project is located close to the existing offshore wind farm Greater Gabbard and is scheduled to become operational by March 2018. UK Galloper Has a Licence to Power On 4 February, Ofgem granted an electricity generation licence to Galloper Wind Farm Limited. With the licence in place, the company developing the Galloper offshore wind farm is authorised to generate electricity in Great Britain, the territorial sea adjacent Page 28 project updates Europe UK Centrica and EIG Sell Lynn and Inner Dowsing OWFs Centrica and its 50% joint venture partner EIG Global Energy Partners (EIG) have agreed a joint sale of the 194 MW Lynn and Inner Dowsing offshore wind farms to a consortium comprising the UK Green Investment Bank Offshore Wind Fund and funds managed by BlackRock. The overall transaction also includes the sale of the 26 MW Glens of Foudland onshore wind farm, and is expected to bring Centrica and EIG around GBP 423 million. After repayment of debt associated with the farms and other costs, Centrica’s net share of the proceeds will be approximately GBP 115 million. The sale is in line with Centrica’s strategy to dispose of its interests in wind power generation, while continuing to purchase wind power. The company will continue to purchase 100% of the power and 50% of the Renewable Obligation Certificates from the three wind farms under existing power purchase agreements until 2024. The Lynn and Inner Dowsing offshore wind farms are located off the coast of North East Lincolnshire. Centrica started construction of the wind farms in 2006 and they were fully commissioned in March 2009. The company will provide operations and maintenance support to the farms up to March 2017. UK DONG Signs Westermost Rough Transmission Sale of its transmission assets to TC Westermost Rough OFTO Limited. The transmission assets, valued at GBP 157 million, include the onshore substation, export cables and the offshore substation. TC Westermost Rough OFTO Limited is the licensee entity comprising Transmission Capital Partners Limited Partnership and International Public Partnerships Limited. Following a competitive tender, TC Westermost Rough OFTO Limited was selected in May 2015 by Ofgem as preferred bidder for the Westermost Rough offshore transmission license. The 210MW Westermost Rough offshore wind farm, located approximately 8km off the East coast of Yorkshire near Withernsea, features 35 Siemens 6MW wind turbines. Westermost Rough Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of DONG Energy, the UK Green Investment Bank and Marubeni Corporation, has signed an agreement for the sale Page 29 project updates Europe UK Dong Greenlights Behemoth Hornsea Project One OWF Dong Energy has made a final investment decision to build the 1,200 MW Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm in the UK. Hornsea will on completion be the world’s first offshore wind farm to exceed 1,000 MW in capacity and by a large margin become the world’s largest offshore wind farm. It will be able to meet the electricity needs of well over one million UK homes, Dong said in a release. “We are excited about building this huge wind farm and pushing the boundaries of the offshore wind industry. Hornsea together with Race Bank, Westermost Rough Page 30 and Lincs will make up a giant production area off the British east coast, supporting our efforts to deliver green and independent energy to society,” Henrik Poulsen, CEO of Dong Energy, said. Hornsea was granted a Contract for Difference by the UK Government in April 2014 and will receive a fixed tariff for the first 15 years of production. The wind farm is expected to be fully commissioned in 2020, and will be the final stage towards Dong Energy delivering on its strategic target of installing 6.5 GW of offshore wind by 2020. Hornsea will surpass the 660 MW Walney Extension, which had a final investment decision in October 2015, as the world’s largest offshore wind farm. Brent Cheshire, Dong Energy UK’ Country Chairman, said: “Our decision to construct this giant wind farm underlines our commitment to the UK market. Hornsea Project One will support the supply chain and help create local jobs. To have the world’s biggest ever offshore wind farm located off the Yorkshire coast is hugely significant, and highlights the vital role offshore wind will play in the UK’s need for new low-carbon energy.” Hornsea is located 120 km off the Yorkshire coast and covers approximately 407 square kilometers. Dong Energy has chosen the Siemens 7.0 MW wind turbine for the farm. Dong Energy is the sole owner of Hornsea after acquiring the 66.66% ownership share from Smart Wind in February 2015. The company also has the project rights to the Hornsea Project Two and Three, which have the potential of further 3 GW offshore wind power capacity in total. project updates Europe UK Galloper Recognised for Finance Deal Galloper Wind Farm Ltd, a joint partnership between RWE Innogy, UK Green Investment Bank (GIB), Siemens Financial Services and Macquarie Capital, has received double recognition from industry analysts following the high profile project partnership and finance deals closed late in 2015. Galloper has been named as European Power Deal of the Year in Project Finance International (PFI) Yearbook and Top Deal of 2015 by Infranews, following the completi- on of the finance and project partnerships that secured the future of the £1.5 billion offshore project. Previously, the project had been put on hold following a number of challenges which led to RWE Innogy undertaking a complete redesign of the original project and infrastructure, and seeking new partners and investors. Mikko Simula, Finance Director for Galloper Wind Farm Ltd, said: “The Financial Close for UK Pharos Offshore Grabs Walney OWF Cable Pharos Offshore reported that one of its subsea hydraulic cable grabs is being utilized aboard the Edda Fonn vessel to enable diverless cable repair at the Walney offshore wind farm. The company’s personnel are assisting with the ongoing cable recovery operations aboard the vessel. Pharos Offshore said its cable grab system was built to specification for this project and delivered to Liverpool Port within a 6 day turnaround. The 367.2 MW Walney offshore wind farm is fully commissioned. The wind farm is located approximately 15km off Walney Island, Cumbria, in the Irish Sea in the UK. Page 31 Galloper Wind Farm Ltd was the culmination of many months of successful negotiations with our partners and lenders. It sent a clear message that the UK continues to be strong market for offshore renewables.” During the Financial Close process, UK Green Investment Bank (GIB), Siemens Financial Services and Macquarie Capital joined RWE Innogy in becoming 25% joint equity partners of the Galloper project. The debt financing for Galloper Wind Farm Ltd was also secured with a consortium of 12 commercial banks and the European Investment Bank providing the £1.37 billion debt facilities. As part of the overall partnership agreement, Siemens will supply and install 56 of its 6 MW turbines for the project and deliver a 15-year maintenance contract. Mark Muldowney, Managing Director, Energy & Infrastructure, BNP Paribas who acted as financial advisor to the project said: “The strong support of the financial markets for the Galloper project demonstrates the depth and capacity of the market for wellstructured deals with respected sponsors.” The wind farm is currently being constructed off the coast of Suffolk, with onshore works commencing within days of the financial close announcement last November. project updates Europe UK VBMS Prepping for Pre-Lay Grapnel Run at Dudgeon OWF VBMS will be carrying out a Pre-Lay Grapnel Run (PLGR) operation as part of the pre- parations for the installation of the export and array cables for the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm, Kis-Orca reports. The PLGR involves the vessel Anna-B towing a grapnel train arrangement over the seabed. The grapnel wire pulling the grapnel train will have a length of at least 4-5 times the water depth. The vessel follows the cable route to hook in and recover all small debris like lost fishing nets, ropes and wires from the seabed, fol- lowing the centre line of the planned export cable route with a tolerance of 10m to both sides of the planned export cable route, giving a 20m corridor. This work is done in order to clear the route prior to the installation of the export cable. The Anna-B will arrive on location at or around 9 February 2016. The vessel will be working in the area for an expected duration of maximum 28 days. UK Mainstream Raring to Build 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe OWF Mainstream Renewable Power is in exclusive discussions with a consortium led by power company InterGen to take its 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm to financial close and into construction. The consortium also includes Siemens Project Ventures, The Marguerite Fund and Infrared Capital. Speaking at the Scottish Renewables Offshore Wind Conference in Glasgow, Mainstream’s Chief Operating Officer Andy Kinsella said: “This £2 billion pound infrastructure project has very significant benefits for Scotland. It will create over 500 jobs during construction and over 100 permanent jobs during the 25 year operational phase. More than £540 million will be directly spent in Scotland during the construction phase and a further £610m will be spent during the operational phase.” Located in the Outer Forth Estuary in the North Sea, the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm secured a fifteen-year Contract for Difference (CfD) from the UK’s National Grid in March 2015, which gives the wind farm an inflation-linked strike price for electricity producd. “Neart na Gaoithe will generate the cheapest electricity from any offshore wind farm in the UK. Several PPA offers have been received and are under negotiation for the full output of the plant and for the full duration of the CfD contract. Our CfD strike price of £114.38 is the lowest in the UK and between 18% and 26% below the FID enabling CFD contracts previously awarded. This Page 32 strongly underpins government policy of driving the price of renewables down for the benefit of consumers,” Kinsella said. In October 2014, Scottish Ministers awarded offshore planning consent and the project is expected to be fully commissioned and generating electricity by 2020, subject to the outcome of a judicial review currently under consideration by the Scottish courts. “All the building blocks are now in place to deliver this power plant into operation by 2020; all consents have been received; the CfD was awarded; the technology and construction contractors are in place and, very significantly, the required debt funding for the project has been sourced from commercial banks,” Kinsella said. project updates Europe UK DONG Sells Half of Burbo Bank Extension to PKA, LEGO DONG Energy has signed an agreement to divest 50% of the Burbo Bank Extension project to Danish pension provider PKA and KIRKBI A/S, parent company of the LEGO Group. Furthermore, the developer will be responsible for the sale and delivery to the market of the part of the production that is generated by PKA and KIRKBI A/S’s 50% ownership share. Each investor will obtain a 25% ownership interest in the project, and the total purchase price amounts to approximately GPB 660 million (DKK 6.6 billion) to be paid in the period 2016-2017. The 258MW UK offshore wind farm will be constructed by DONG Energy with offshore construction works commencing in the spring 2016. The project is expected to be fully commissioned in the first half of 2017. DONG Energy will provide operation and maintenance services to Burbo Bank Extension under a long-term O&M agreement. Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, President and Chief Executive Officer of the LEGO Group, said: “This investment is another substantial step for the LEGO Group towards balancing our global energy consumption with renewable energy capacity. Our goal is to fulfil this by 2020 and beyond as we want to make a positive impact on the planet our children will inherit – primarily by providing great play experiences that inspire and develop children, but also through our commitment to the environment.” The investment made by KIRKBI A/S, which Page 33 owns 75% of the LEGO Group, is the second major long-term investment within KIRKBI’s strategic investment area – renewables. In 2012, KIRKBI A/S invested in the Borkum Riffgrund 1 offshore wind farm. This also marks PKA’s fifth investment in an offshore wind farm, of which three are together with DONG Energy. The investment is a part of PKA’s ambition to combine stable long-term returns with investments in renewable energy. Peter Damgaard Jensen, CEO at PKA, said: “In the spring of 2015 we blacklisted 31 coal companies, which have since lost more than 60% of their value. In the same period, the return on our offshore wind farms has been more than 7%. The first investment in a wind farm by PKA was Anholt offshore wind farm in 2011 together with DONG Energy, and today PKA has invested in five offshore wind farms. Together they will provide renewable energy to about 2 million households. We are proud to be able to provide a good return to the pension savers and at the same time make a positive difference.” Burbo Bank Extension will consist of 32 turbines and will be the first large-scale wind farm to deploy the new MHI Vestas 8.0 MW turbine. When completed Burbo Bank Extension will be able to supply CO2free power equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of more than 230,000 households. project updates Europe Northern Ireland Fair Head Tidal targets summer for marine licence application Fair Head Tidal is pressing on with plans to submit its marine licence application this summer for the proposed 100 MW tidal energy scheme off the north Antrim coast of Northern Ireland. The team behind the Fair Head Tidal Energy Park has concluded a series of surveys both offshore and onshore, with the results of these surveys now being assessed before they are included in the marine licence application to install an array of tidal turbines, the company informed. Fair Head Tidal Energy Park, a joint venture created between DP Energy and Bluepower, proposes a 100 MW tidal energy pro- ject that would power an estimated 70.000 Northern Irish homes by 2020. Clodagh McGrath, DP Energy’s Project Manager, said: “The Fair Head Tidal development strategy is to progress with a 100 MW offshore consent application and build the project out in phases, planned to commence in 2018. In the last three years we have engaged with a wide range of project stakeholders including local communities and government departments.” McGrath added Fair Head Tidal would continue the engagement process with the public and stakeholders by setting up more local open days this spring to share details on the surveys completed, the proposed tidal energy technologies and how the company’s plans to bring the energy ashore and connect into the national electricity grid. Atlantic Ocean Xtera Completed the Marine Installation of Its Second Repeatered Subsea Cable System Project Xtera Communications, Inc., a leading provider of high-capacity, cost-effective optical transport solutions, today announced the completion of the marine installation of its second repeatered submarine cable system that was deployed in the last quarter of 2015 in the Atlantic Ocean. Xtera completed testing of all the fiber pairs between the two landing sites in the fourth quarter of 2015. All of Xtera’s work has been completed on schedule. The approximately 1,500 km long cable system is built with Xtera’s Raman-based repeaters offering multiple optical transmission benefits, including wider spectrum, better noise performance, longer repeater spacing and higher tolerance to strong increases in span loss compared with repeaters based on erbium-doped fiber amplifiers. “This new repeatered project has been deployed after the successful upgrade of the High capacity, Undersea Guernsey Opticalfiber (HUGO) subsea cable system connecting Porthcurno (UK), Guernsey (UK) and Lannion (France), where Xtera’s next gene- ration wideband repeaters were inserted into the existing cable plant to increase system capacity,” said Stuart Barnes, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Xtera Submarine Business. “Our innovative repeater adds nicely to our portfolio of flexible solutions for building new subsea infrastructure, upgrading existing cable assets under water, or recovering and re-laying existing cable assets and confirms Xtera’s position as a global turnkey supplier for the subsea cable system industry.” Xtera pioneered Raman optical amplification in long-haul optical transmission infrastructure with its Wise RamanTM solution that offers unrivalled optical transmission performances, unparalleled optical spectrum and operational excellence with a seamless integration of Raman amplification into optical networks. In April 2013, Xtera launched the industry’s first optical wideband repeater featuring Raman amplification for long-haul subsea cable systems. The new repeater adds nicely to Xtera’s turnkey solutions for building new subsea cable systems or upgrading existing wet Page 34 plant, including repeater replacement or re-lay of decommissioned cable systems. About Xtera Communications, Inc. Xtera Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: XCOM) is a leading provider of high-capacity, cost-effective optical transport solutions, supporting the high growth in global demand for bandwidth. Xtera sells solutions to telecommunications service providers, content service providers, enterprises and government entities worldwide. Xtera’s proprietary Wise RamanTM optical amplification technology leads to capacity and reach performance advantages over competitive products. Xtera’s solutions enable costeffective capacity to meet customers’ bandwidth requirements of today and to support their increasing bandwidth demand fueled by the development of data centers and related cloud-based services. For more information, visit www.xtera.com, contact [email protected] or connect via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. project updates Europe Portugal Third-party cable fault keeps WindFloat 1 power off grid Work is underway to repair a faulty cable that has since late January kept power generated by the pioneering WindFloat 1 (WF1) floating wind turbine from reaching the Portuguese grid. Greece – Cyprus - Israel Survey vessel looking for best route for undersea power cable A research and survey vessel began a reconnaissance study for the optimum route for a proposed high-voltage subsea power cable connecting Israel and Cyprus to the European mainland. The Italy-flagged Odin Finder, owned and operated by Italian company GAS S.r.l, set out from the port of Limassol. The ship is equipped to carry out various operations, including bathymetry, survey, geotechnical and ROV surveys. Mapping out the best route for the cable is expected to be completed during this year. The cable will have the capacity to transmit 2,000 MW of energy along its east-west cable, selling Israel Energy Corporation’s excess electricity production to Cyprus or any other buyer further west. The 1,518km-long subsea cable will connect Israel and Cyprus to southeast and western Europe to satisfy the continent’s need for cheap electricity. It will connect Israel with Cyprus, Cyprus with Crete, and Crete with the Peloponnese, from where electricity supply can be distributed to Greece or further afield. Work on the initial 329-kilometre cable link between Israel and Cyprus is expected to begin in 2017 and be completed in 2019. The second phase will connect the Greek island of Crete to Attica in mainland Greece in 2020 and the third and final phase will connect the cable from Cyprus to Crete with a view to full implementation of the “electricity highway” by 2022. Known as the EuroAsia InterConnector, the project is initiated by the DEI-Quantum Energy joint venture, a partnership between DEI, the public power corporation of Greece, and Quantum, operator of hydroelectric and power stations in the Republic of Serbia. Nasos Ktorides, chairman of the joint venture, was earlier quoted as saying the proPage 35 ject cost – €1.5bn – should be recouped in four years and should earn €17.5bn throughout the life of the cable. The project is included in the revised list of 195 Projects of Common Interest (PCI), issued on November 18 by the European Commission. It offers significant economic and geopolitical benefits to the involved countries and contributes to the EU target for 10 per cent of electricity interconnection between member states. According to local reports, the cable’s expected lifespan is estimated at 50 years. Once fully completed, the cable will allow for bi-directional transmission of electricity. The partners have stressed the project’s considerable significance, including ending the energy isolation of Cyprus and paving the way for cheaper electricity due to competition. The Odin Finder is the same vessel which in the summer of 2013 was carrying out depth soundings as preparatory work for the laying of fibre-optic cables. It was chartered by the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CyTA). According to reports at the time, the vessel was intercepted by a Turkish warship while off the coast of Paphos and ordered to retreat as it had ‘encroached’ into Turkey’s continental shelf. In 2011 Turkey signed a ‘continental shelf delineation agreement’ with the breakaway regime in a purported effort to protect the rights of Turkish Cypriots to the island’s natural resources, while also serving to support Turkey’s argument against islands having any right to an EEZ. project updates Middle East Saudi Arabia Jan De Nul’s CLV Isaac Newton Heads to Its First Mission 8,500 tonnes have been loaded and will now be transported and installed in one single trip with Jan De Nul’s cable laying vessel Isaac Ne The Marjan GOSP’s project is the first project for the Isaac Newton. Offshore contractor Jan De Nul will install two 115 kV cables, supplied by Nexans Norway, for the Marjan Gas Oil Separation Plan (GOSP’s) project executed by McDermott, the company stated. Both cables, with a total cable weight of Page 36 The vessel is the latest addition to Jan De Nul’s fleet and, according to the company, it is the largest cable laying vessel of its kind, capable to transport and install over 10,000 tonnes of cable per single trip. The largest out of two carousels on board has a carrying capacity up to 7,400 tonnes, suited for transport and installation of the longest and heaviest of the two cables, with a length of 87 km and a weight of 7,300 tonnes. project updates Africa Africa SEACOM and Ciena Drive Web-scale Services across Africa SEACOM is expanding its terrestrial network and upgrading capacity on key submarine links with Ciena® to deliver new network solutions to service providers across the continent and into main European points of presence (POPs). Ciena’s GeoMesh submarine solution and converged packet optical platform equip SEACOM with a high-capacity backbone that will bring high-performing flexible services and content closer to its enterprise and service provider customers. Together, SEACOM and Ciena are supporting scalable connectivity to expand the African Internet, facilitating data services for broadband, and enabling access to cloudbased web-scale applications. Key Facts: • SEACOM’s submarine and terrestrial networks stretch across 17,000 km, connecting Africa to Europe, Asia and the Middle East. This expansion gives SEACOM’s corporate and service provider customers the ability to expand and grow their operations to support the rise of cloud-based services and applications, as well as facilitate growing requirements for the processing and storage of data. • These extended services allow SEACOM to continue delivering affordable data connectivity to the African continent. SEACOM’s infrastructure is designed to grow and scale as Africa continues to develop, and investments in infrastructure will ultimately improve overall Internet access and enable more digital, and associated economic, opportunities. • With Ciena’s 6500 Packet-Optical Platform underpinning its high-capacity backbone, SEACOM can cost-effectively expand, optimise and seamlessly link its submarine and terrestrial networks without disrupting existing services. By adopting Ciena’s OPn approach SEACOM’s network is also scalable and able to adapt to accommodate future architectural possibilities. • Ciena’s unified management capability gives SEACOM an end-to-end view of its entire infrastructure, enabling faster service turn-up and complete visibility of network performance, as well as fault management and remote troubleshooting. • This deployment reinforces the longstanding relationship between Ciena and SEACOM, the two companies have been working together since 2013, when SEACOM upgraded its submarine network across the Southern and Eastern African coastlines. Executive Comments: “Africa is experiencing massive growth and demand for network services. With Ciena’s technology supporting our infrastructure evolution we can ensure cost-effective data connectivity to end-customers across the continent and internationally; ensuring that Africa is ready for the next generation of applications and high-bandwidth broadband Page 37 services.” - Claes Segelberg, Chief Technology Officer at SEACOM “For competitive providers like SEACOM increasing network capacity efficiently and economically is critical. With this expansion and upgrade SEACOM can continue to its great work and help lead Africa into the next stage of ICT growth with scalable and competitive connectivity solutions.” - Ed McCormack, VP and General Manager, Submarine Systems at Ciena About SEACOM SEACOM launched Africa’s first broadband submarine cable system along the eastern and southern coastlines in 2009, bringing with it a vast supply of high quality and affordable Internet bandwidth. Since then, SEACOM has moved beyond being a cable operator to become a major pan-African service provider, offering a full suite of resilient and scalable data services that allow Africa’s growing ICT community to develop and evolve. Ranging from dedicated IPL transmission services, flexible Ethernet services, to res(continues on p.38) project updates Africa (continued) Africa SEACOM and Ciena Drive Web-scale Services across Africa ilient IP Transit service capabilities and accessible Internet connectivity, SEACOM can now provide tailor-made communication solutions. Today, SEACOM is the preferred partner for African network carriers and service providers. Through its ownership of Africa’s most extensive ICT data infrastructure - including multiple subsea cables and a resilient, continent-wide IP-MPLS network – SEACOM provides flexible, scalable and high-quality communications services that enable the growth of the continent’s economy. SEACOM is privately owned and operated, allowing the company the agility to rapidly deploy new services, commercial structures and infrastructure in response to customer requirements. SEACOM is also able to provide true open-access services with no red tape or hidden costs. For more information, visit http://seacom.mu/ About Ciena Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) is the network specialist. We collaborate with customers worldwide to unlock the strategic potential of their networks and fundamentally change the way they perform and compete. Ciena leverages its deep expertise in packet and optical networking and distributed software automation to deliver solutions in alignment with its OPn architecture for next-generation networks. We enable a high-scale, programmable infrastructure that can be controlled and adapted by network-level applications, and provide open interfaces to coordinate computing, storage and network resources in a unified, virtualized environment. Africa/Middle East Multiple cable faults in last week of January 2016 Multiple cable faults in the last week have severely disrupted telecoms services across Africa and the Middle East. SEACOM disclosed that twin faults in Egypt – one on the Northern Trans-Egypt route between Cairo and Alexandria and the other on the Southern Trans-Egypt route on the outskirts of Cairo – knocked out its connectivity between Africa and Europe on 21 January. Both events were caused by civil construction activity and were promptly repaired. SEACOM services between Africa and Europe went offline again on 28 January, after new faults were reported in Egypt. ‘SEACOM is experiencing multiple outages on the terrestrial network across Egypt. All our international connectivity through Egypt has been affected’, the company said in a press release, adding that repair teams have already arrived on site. Meanwhile, an outage on a terrestrial link in the UK – which connects the West Africa Cable System (WACS) landing station in Highbridge (UK) with a data centre in London, led to a downtime along that route; the fault affecting the path was fixed on Thursday 28 January. Elsewhere, UAE-based telco Du has announced that repair work on three dama- Page 38 ged submarine cables – EIG, FEA and Falcon – is currently underway, following multiple cable cuts near Egypt on 23 January. The company said: ‘As per the latest available information from the three affected submarine cable operators – EIG, FEA and Falcon – repair work is currently underway in full swing’, adding that it may take longer ‘to accomplish the full scope of the required work.’ The company highlighted that it has re-routed traffic through alternative paths while new cable paths were being added, and that the fault will have ‘no financial impact’ on the company. ADVERTORIAL There’s a new power under ocean uniting the world in a whole new way. With unparalleled development expertise and outstanding technology, Huawei Marine is revolutionizing trans-ocean communications with a new generation of repeaters and highly reliable submarine cable systems that offer greater transmission capacity, longer transmission distances and faster response to customer needs. Huawei Marine: connecting the world one ocean at a time. Page 39 project updates Asia Azerbaijan Azerbaijan plans first Caspian offshore wind farm at 198MW Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR is planning to build the first offshore wind farm in the Caspian Sea, consisting of 60 turbines with a combined capacity of 198MW. above the sea level. The atlas has data on wind speed and direction. They recently released an atlas exclusive to Tamil Nadu, which has the capacity to generate more than 320 GW power. The country has an overall capacity to generate more than 5,400 GW wind power a year. Apart from Tamil Nadu, states like Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh were identified as potential locations to set up offshore farms and generate electricity. Pilot projects for offshore wind farms have already been launched in Gujarat, with the setting up of sensors to measure wind speed and direction. The project was launched based on an assessment report prepared by a consortium. India is already the fifth biggest onshore wind energy developer in the world with an installed capacity of more than 24,750 MW. Tamil Nadu has an installed capacity of 7455MW the highest in the country. Worldwide installed capacity of offshore wind projects is around 8,500 MW and of that, around 4,500 MW is in from UK alone. Purvaja Ramachandran, futuristic research division, NCSCM said they prepared the atlas with 10 years of data on wind resource potential. "Corals are all located at a depth of 30 metres. We can go up to 200 nautical miles which is the exclusive economic zone. But, within 12 nautical miles, we have a huge potential," she said. Unlike onshore wind farms, a detailed study of the sea depth is required for offshore ones as it is vital for the installation of the mast and functioning of the turbines. India Potential wind farm atlas ready At a time when the country is looking to tap renewable energy, city scientists have developed an atlas of potential wind energy sites, including offshore ones, along the 7500-km coastline. The atlas, prepared by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), will be a reference point for policy-makers and private companies to select sites for investment to set up offshore wind farms. Scientists have prepared the atlas by identifying and excluding ecologically sensitive areas. Researchers have assessed offshore wind energy provisions along the coastline, up to 12 nautical miles. The farms can be set up where the depth of the sea is between 30 and 200 metres. The height of the structures will be 50m AHMTEC GmbH • Bavinkstrasse 23 • 26789 Leer • Germany +49 (0)491 20980 500 +49 (0)491 20980 509 www.ahmtec.de Page 40 [email protected] project updates Asia India 'Powerless' Elephanta Island to get electricity from I-Day Nearly 1,200 residents of the Elephanta island, famous for its Hindu cave sculptures and located around 10 km off Mumbai coast, have a reason to cheer as Maharashtra government has decided to provide electricity to this popular tourist destination from August 15 this year. The island, despite its proximity to the country's financial capital and housing caves which were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, is still without electricity, which make things difficult for its residents. Maharashtra Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the government will lay an underwater power cable network between mainland Mumbai and the island at a cost of Rs 28 crore for electrification. "For so many years, the inhabitants of Elephanta island have been living without proper power supply. Life comes to a standstill on the island after sunset as there is no power supply," Bawankule said. "The government has now decided to provide electricity supply to Elephanta island as well as the Ajanta-Ellora caves. The state cannot not let these internationally recognised tourist destinations remain without power supply for this long," he said. A power supply cable network will be laid with technical assistance from US and UKbased companies. The cable will have a brake-plate at the island and will be able to withstand choppy seas and underwater pressure, the Minister added. The island has three villages namely Shet- bandar, Morabandar and Rajbandar, of which the last one is sort of a capital of the island. The island on which the caves are built was originally known as Gharapuri, and the Portuguese retitled it as Elephanta island when they discovered a large stone structure of an Elephant on the island. No tourists are allowed to stay on the island after sunset. The first ferry to the island leaves to the island from Gateway of India at 12.30 pm, while the last ferry leaves at 5.30 pm. The island, the population of which is estimated to be around 1,200, has an area of about 16 sqkm and is located northeast from Mumbai coast and comes under administrative jurisdiction of Raigad district. Mauritius Carnegie kicks-off Mauritius project Australian wave energy developer Carnegie Wave Energy has started its Mauritius wave and microgrid design project. The project, which will be delivered on Mauritius and the neighboring island of Rodrigues, will see Carnegie receive Au$800,000 ($560,000) grant through a partnership between the Australian and Mauritian Governments. Carnegie is expected to deliver study and design activities for initiatives focused on high penetration renewable energy microgrids that incorporate wave energy. The total value of the design activities is Au$990,000 ($717,000), and Carnegie will contribute Au$190,000 ($130,000) of inkind and technical support. The project is expected to deliver three outcomes throughout 2016, including the creation of renewable energy roadmap for Mauritius, assessment of the Mauritian wave energy resource and the identification of a preferred site for a commercial CETO wave energy project, and the design of a microgrid powered desalination plant on the Mauritian island of Rodrigues. Greg Allen, Chief Operating Officer, recently convened the first project steering committee meeting in Mauritius. Allen, who was joined by Carnegie Project Manager Neil de Tisi, said the steering committee comprises Page 41 members from the Mauritian Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, the Australian High Commission as well as the Mauritian Research Council and Carnegie. “The integration of a mix of renewable technologies, along with storage and controls, can provide cheaper, clean and secure solutions for island nations. It has been pleasing to see the behind the scenes work associated with developing this initiative transform into an active project,” Allen said. He added that Carnegie will now begin the process of collecting and analysing the relevant data that will form input into the renewable energy roadmap. “We will also make preparations for the deployment of a wave data collection buoy in the coming months,” concluded Allen. project updates Asia Sri Lanka - India Sri Lanka-India power link pre-feasibility complete Pre-feasibility studies for Sri Lanka India HVDC transformation link have already been done in collaboration with power grid India and CEB, a senior official said. “There is a big opportunity here,” Damitha Kumarasinghe, director general of Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka said. “Now India is connected to Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka is the country which is outside this grid at the moment and there are power deficits at various time intervals in both countries.” He was speaking at the recently concluded 22nd Steering Committee Meeting of South Asia Forum for Infrastructure Regulation (SAFIR) held in New Delhi, India. This is originally planned for 500 MW which can be upgradeable to 1000MW and it was proposed to have this link from Madurai in India to Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka with a 50 kilometer undersea cable at 400 KV. “Large scale transmission network development is going on in India and attractive peak prices have been observed in Indian power exchange,” “Also recently India and Sri Lanka have embarked on a very high growth on renewable energy and potential savings in spinning receive is a great advantage for both countries,” Sri Lanka have some coal power plants planned already, one with NTPC India -500 MW while a 900 MW coal power plant is already in operation and a another coal po- wer plant is proposed to be commissioned in 2022 but our off peak load is about 900 MW at the moment. So Kumarasinghe says that considering these coal power plants and increased renewable energy for the off peak load renewable energy for the off peak load, interconnection with the region is very much useful. We have large renewable energy potential especially wind and solar in the Northern part of the country which is very close proximity to India. So there should be a mechanism to harness and evacuate this power without any issue to the existing power system, he added. Philippines ERC says attempt to link Mindanao and Visayas power grids failed The attempt to connect Mindanao and Visayas power grids by submarine cable between Leyte and Surigao del Norte provinces failed due to “major obstacles” along its path, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) told journalists. Rexie Digal, Director of the ERC Regulatory Operations Service said the attempt to lay 23 kilometers of underwater cables between Leyte in the Visayas and Surigao del Norte in Mindanao failed when the technical team from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) ran into “major obstacles” along its path. Digal said the team reported that the path of the underwater cable experienced an increase seismic activity that could break the submarine cables. He said the team also encountered numerous sunken ships along the path between the NGCP substations in Leyte and Surigao del Norte. “There are even unexploded bombs and other ordnance left from World War 2,” Dingal said. He said the NGCP will try another route to Page 42 link Mindanao and Visayas between Negros Island and Dipolog City. The cost is estimated at P24 billion, inclusive of the feasibility study. The interconnection is part of Mindanao Energy Plan 2012-2030 to provide standby power to Mindanao from Visayas which has an excess power supply. As of Jan. 12, 2016, the NGCP reported Mindanao has only a thin power reserve of 70 megawatts compared to Visayas which had 296 megawatts of reserve electricity. project updates Asia China Rudong OWF Project Starts Producing Power China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) reported that the 152 MW Rudong offshore wind farm demonstration project started producing power after the first six Siemens 4 MW turbines were connected to the grid. The Rudong project is located some 25 kilometers east of Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, in water depths of around 15 meters. The farm comprises 38 Siemens 4 MW turbines, and is the first project carried out in accordance to the Double Ten standard issued by China’s State Oceanic Administrati- on in 2011 which states that offshore wind farms must be built at least 10 kilometers from the shore and in depths of over 10 meters. The first monopile at the wind farm was installed in late May 2015, and the first turbine was erected in September 2015. Once completed, the wind farm is expected to generate around 388 million KWh of power annually. Japan NEDO Backs Two Wind Farm Projects off Japan Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO) will subsidize portions of project costs related to the development of two offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of 270MW. The first project NEDO will back is a 170MW offshore wind farm near the Port of Noshi- ro, Akita Prefecture, developed by Marubeni Corporation and Obayashi Corporation. The second project is a 100MW wind farm developed by Green Power Investment, and situated within the Ishikari Bay, Hokkaido Prefecture. NEDO will also assist the developers in assessing construction and operating costs, gauging wind potential at the sites, and performing environmental impact assessments. The project is expected to accelerate commercialization of offshore wind power industry in Japan, NEDO said in a release. The subsidies will be available to the developers until the Fiscal Year 2017. K J MARITIME CORPORATION YOUR AGENTS FOR ALL MATTERS CONCERNING CABLE LAYING LOCAL LIAISON PERMITS LOGISTICS MANPOWER ETC. IN THE INDIAN SUB CONTINENT. CONTACT US AT: 1111, RAHEJA CENTRE 214, NARIMAN POINT MUMBAI 400 021 INDIA TELEPHONE NUMBERS: (91-22) 22 83 12 39 / 22 83 12 49 / 22 83 05 80 / 22 83 10 11 E-MAIL: [email protected] FAX NUMBER: (91-22) 22 02 26 41 Page 43 project updates Asia South Pacific Ocean Bureau Veritas Greenlights Ocean Thermal Energy Converter Project An international classification society, Bureau Veritas, has issued its first Approval in Principle for an Ocean Thermal Energy Converter (OTEC). Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a way to produce electricity from the difference of temperature between deep cold and warm surface seawater. A working fluid The approval applies to a 1MW plant developed by the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO) which will be built for installation off the coast of South Tarawa, Republic of Kiribati, in the South Pacific Ocean. is successively vaporised and condensed in a thermodynamic cycle, with the gas phase driving a turbo-alternator producing electricity. KRISO’s 1MW OTEC plant is the first practical level of plant on a pathway to building Page 44 a 100MW commercial system. It consists of an octagonal 6,700 tonne four deck floating platform 35 m across moored 6 km offshore in a water depth of 1,300 m. A 1,000 m pipe 1.2 m in diameter will be used to pump cool water up from the depths to be fed to process plant on the platform. Approval in Principle for Bureau Veritas implies that the design is feasible, achievable, and contains no technological showstoppers that may prevent the design from being matured and that the design is deemed to be suitable for use in the metocean conditions that the unit facility will be located in. Bureau Veritas’ engineers verified a metocean/hydrodynamics analysis, mooring analysis, stability analysis, and examination of the riser design and system design concept. Matthieu de Tugny, senior vice-president and head of offshore, Bureau Veritas, said: “OTEC technology offers the potential for round-the-clock clean renewable energy from the ocean. We are excited to deploy our expertise in offshore energy, met-ocean studies and structures to help bring this project which will deliver clean electricity to remote areas to fruition.” project updates Australia Australia - Tasmania Tasmania power crisis: Labor urges homes, businesses to cut electricity consumption The Tasmanian Opposition is urging householders and business owners to reduce their electricity consumption as the state's power woes worsen. Labor leader Bryan Green said the state could not afford to wait to take action while water storages were dropping and the Bass Strait undersea power cable remained outof-action due to a fault. "We are in a crisis situation when it comes to our dam levels and the fact that Basslink's out," Mr Green said. "If we face a fire situation, we don't light fires, if we are facing a drought when it comes to water, we conserve water, there are restrictions. "We've got a very serious situation with our dam levels, we ought to be thinking about how we can conserve our hydro system as much as we possibly can." Hydro Tasmania's water storages have dropped to 18.3 per cent and are expected to get down to 14 per cent before the Basslink cable under Bass Strait is scheduled to be repaired, which will allow power to be imported from Victoria. Basslink is hoping to repair the cable by March 19, but is yet to confirm if it has located the exact location of the damaged section that needs to be replaced. The state's biggest power user, Bell Bay Aluminium, has already agreed to reduce its consumption by 10 per cent for the next five months. The State Government has repeatedly assured the public there would be no need for domestic power rationing, as it held talks with major industry customers to cut consumption. But Mr Green accused Premier Will Hodgman and Energy Minister Matthew Groom of being secretive and negligent, arguing every Tasmanian can make a difference by turning off switches. "I think all Tasmanians would actively participate in that, if they knew the full story," Mr Green said. Premier pleads for second Basslink Mr Hodgman will put the case for a second undersea power cable to the Prime Minister and federal Treasurer in April. The State Government is hoping to secure funding for a project it describes as "natio- Page 45 nally significant infrastructure". Mr Hodgman said a second cable would ensure Tasmania did not find itself in another power crisis in the future. "The Government is committed to increasing renewable generation in Tasmania, and a second interconnector will not only ensure greater energy security for Tasmania, it would allow greater opportunities for Tasmania by encouraging investment in our renewable energy sector," he said. "This is nationally significant infrastructure that would provide benefits to mainland energy consumers." In a statement, a spokesperson for Treasurer Scott Morrison said the Tasmanian Government had said it would not use the Federal Government's asset recycling initiative to fund the project, which could cost more than $1 billion. "The asset recycling initiative remains open, however the Tasmanian Government has not, at this time, indicated it wishes to take advantage of the program," the statement said. "The Government looks forward to discussing any such proposal from the Tasmanian Government on this issue." Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the State Government would not privatise assets to fund a new cable. "We said very clearly prior to the last election that we have not got a privatisation agenda. That remains," he said. The Premier will meet with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Mr Morrison at the Joint Economic Council meeting in April, and it is expected Mr Hodgman will use the meeting to ask for funding assistance. A feasibility study on a second cable is due to be completed mid-year. project updates Australia Australia - Tasmania More back-up generators ordered because of delays in Basslink cable repair Tasmania's Opposition believes the cost of bringing in more back-up diesel generators because of delays in repairing the Basslink cable will be astronomical. Basslink has yet to locate the fault on the undersea cable to Victoria and has told the market it cannot give a timeline for repairs. The Government has doubled the number of containerised diesel generators being brought in to 200. The problem was detected in mid-December and the fault was expected to be fixed by about mid-March. The Government has committed to supplying 100 megawatts of extra power using diesel generators by March, and now an extra 100 by April. Opposition Leader Bryan Green said the cost to Hydro Tasmania would be enormous. "The cost of diesel generation will be astronomical on a monthby-month basis, which will put enormous pressure on the finances of the state and of course the consumers," he said. "The numbers are changing all the time, it's really hard to read but their first decision, with respect to an additional 100 megawatts running for 12 hours a day, we believe would cost them about $14.5 million a month to operate. " On Labor's figures the total cost of the extra 200 megawatts of diesel generation would be about $29 million a month. But the Tasmanian Government and Hydro Tasmania would not say how much it would cost. "Of course Tasmanians should be sensible and prudent with their energy use, as they are, Tasmanians place great care on ensuring that they use their energy sensibly, and the Government of course would continue to encourage them to do so," Energy Minister Matthew Groom said. "Tamar Valley Power Station and new temporary energy generation will account for what the Basslink power had been providing the state," he said. He also said it was unclear if the additional diesel generators would be used after the cable was fixed to allow the dam levels to rebuild. Page 46 "They're judgements that need to be made, so we need to continue to work with Hydro Tasmania and all of the energy businesses to make careful judgments about what would be required to maintain energy security in Tasmania," he said. Basslink homing in on fault Basslink said the fault had been narrowed down to three kilometres on the 300 kilometre undersea cable but poor visibility was hampering repair efforts. It said it was consulting experts around the world and running a 24-hour operation trying to fix the fault. CEO Malcolm Eccles said the repair process could not be rushed. "Until we are confident of where we can cut the cable, and it's imperative we cut the cable in the right place, we really cannot give an end date," he said. The Basslink fault has put pressure on power provider Hydro Tasmania which was already struggling to keep up with demand. Record dry conditions across Tasmania have left Hydro's dams at less than 19 per cent capacity and they are expected to fall further to 14 per cent. But the Government does not expect the dam levels to fall beyond that, despite the extra delay. Tasmanian Greens leader Cassy O'Connor is urging the Government to release plans for energy security beyond the short-term solutions to the current power woes. "To fire up the diesel generators, to fire up Tamar Valley, they're very quick fixes, they're not a plan to ensure energy security in the medium to long term," she said. "And we think that one of the best, most efficient and effective things that the Government can do right now is help Tasmanians reduce their power consumption, and contribute to helping in this situation, is to invest in free energy efficiency to households," she said. project updates Australia West Australia Carnegie Wave Energy’s CETO 6 unit generating power in Western Australia Carnegie Wave Energy Ltd., as part of its US$46 million CETO 6 project, is generating energy from a grid-connected CETO 6 unit off the coast of Garden Island in Western Australia, according to published reports. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) said the unit will provide power for HMAS Stirling, Australia’s largest naval base. The CETO 6 system operates under water, converting ocean wave energy into electricity and desalinated water. Each CETO 6 unit will have a targeted, nominal 1 MW power capacity and transmit that power onshore via subsea cable. In 2014, Australia's Clean Energy Finance Corp. (CEFC) provided a $18.2 million fiveyear loan facility to Carnegie, to help Carnegie accelerate the final stage of development for the CETO 6 generating system. In November 2015 Carnegie and Commonwealth Bank of Australia completed a financing deal for a five-year $20 million loan facility, replacing the existing loan facility Carnegie had with CEFC. “This progress is a clear example that given Page 47 time, and with the right government support, emerging renewable energy technologies can progress along the innovation chain towards commercialization,” said Ivor Frischknecht, ARENA chief executive officer. According to Carnegie, wave resources in Western Australia, which has a population of about 2.5 million, are the best in the world. The organization thinks, “theoretically, the resources that hit the coastline everyday could power the state 10-times over.” project updates North America Prince Edward Island Korea gets contract for part of P.E.I.'s new underwater power cable LS Cable awarded a $54-million contract for portion of biggest infrastructure project since Confederation Bridge. A Korean company has been handed part of the task of carrying out perhaps the biggest infrastructure project in P.E.I. since Confederation Bridge was built. LS Cable has been awarded a $54-million contract for a portion of the project that will see two huge, new electrical cables installed under the seabed of the Northumberland Strait. The project, which was originally supposed to take place this summer, will now begin in October and should take two to three weeks to complete, weather permitting. Maritime Electric has already handed over a $6-million down payment. "We had to order that in advance and put a deposit down or we'd never meet the timeline to meet it at the end of this year,'' said Kim Griffin, corporate spokeswoman with the utility. "It was certainly a risk, but we felt that it was really important.'' The environmental assessment part of the project is still ongoing. If there are any problems, Maritime Electric will simply put things on hold. The project involves 34 kilometres of submarine cable. The cable itself is about 10 inches in diameter, enabling it to carry a significantly larger load, which will go from 200 megawatts of transfer capability to 560 with the four cables. The install schedule was set following consultations with lobster fishermen. The fall schedule is least disruptive to the fishery. The existing cables are nearly 40 years old and aren't buried very deeply in the strait. Those cables are also filled with a type of oil that has leaked in the past. The new ones do not have oil and are filled instead with a type of plastic. The project, which is cost-shared between the federal and provincial government, is estimated to cost between $120 million and $140 million. The previous federal go- vernment committed $50 million. There are a number of marine biologists employed, as well as engineers, survey companies and people who are helping design the cable, mapping the route and handling changes that will need to be done to the utility's substation in Borden-Carleton. "For us, it's a pretty significant amount of work. There are people working on this full-time, year-round to try and make it happen.'' Griffin said the contract was awarded to a Korean company because there are no companies in North America able to make the cable. New scanning technology has identified a possible river bed with a soft structure that will allow the two new cables to be well buried this time around. Electricity from the new cables should be flowing by November or December. Consumer electricity rates likely won't go down but should be lower than without the new cables. Block Island National Grid Kicks off Block Island OWF Connection Works National Grid has begun working on the infrastructure that will connect the first American offshore wind farm to the network. The utility, which will own and operate the USD 107 million connection, has started with test borings on both Block Island and Rhode Island, where the onshore infrastructure will be built to connect Deepwater Wind’s Block Island offshore wind farm to the grid. “We will soon begin construction of the mainland underground conduit through which a power line connected to the cable will run to a nearby switching station, which will be built in the coming months, and then to a distribution substation in our system,” David Graves, National Grid’s spokesman stated. Graves said that similar work will begin at Block Island soon, where the wind farm’s connecting cable will be linked to a switching station, which will also be built by National Grid. From there, an underground power cable will run to a new substation where Block Island Power Co., the Island’s power distribution company, will receive power from the mainland. The installation of a 20-mile (approx. 32 km) Page 48 subsea cable that will connect Block Island with the mainland will start in the spring, and the project is scheduled to be completed in late 2016. Deepwater Wind completed the first offshore construction season at the wind farm’s site in November 2015, and will commence work again in the spring, with turbine installation set to take place in the summer. The offshore wind farm is expected to be operational by the end of this year. project updates North America New Jersey New Jersey Governor Shelves Offshore Wind Bill New Jersey governor Chris Christie chose not to sign Senate Bill S-2711, which would have instructed the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to open a new window for applications for small offshore wind projects off the coast of Atlantic City. The bill, which got the green light from the New Jersey’s Senate at the beginning of this month, would have allowed Fishermen’s Energy to go forward with its 25MW offshore wind farm, earlier deemed too expensive and non-viable by the BPU. After the BPU had rejected the proposed project, Fishermen’s Energy modified its project proposal, saying it will use Siemens 4MW turbines and traditional sources of project financing. The project now has a $50 million funding agreement in place with the US Department of Energy and qualifies for the 30% Investment Tax Credit signed into law late last year, Fishermen’s Energy said. Paul Gallagher, COO of Fishermen’s Energy, stated: “This legislation was an expression of frustration by the Legislature. Even without this legislation being enacted, the BPU remains authorized by its own rules to open a window, accept a new application, and otherwise implement OWEDA [Offshore Wind Economic Development Act].” Chris Wissemann, CEO of Fishermen’s Energy said: “Now that the legislation is no lon- Page 49 ger clouding the BPU’s authority, we expect that the administration will support the BPU opening up a new window to accept an application to factually determine if offshore wind works for New Jersey especially now that the project brings more than $100 million in Federal funding and more than 500 jobs to New Jersey.” Gallagher concluded: “With the Federal funding in place the project can produce power at a much lower price. Coupled with Siemens turbines and traditional financing, the project can address the BPU’s other stated concerns. It is worth a second look.” project updates North America New Jersey DONG Energy Takes Up another U.S. Offshore Wind Site DONG Energy has agreed to take over RES Americas Developments Inc.’s newly assigned development project rights for a 1,000MW wind site off the coast of New Jersey. The New Jersey lease is the second U.S. lease area for DONG Energy. The acquisition of the company’s first U.S. lease area, off the coast of Massachusetts, was approved by BOEM in June 2015. At the offshore wind auction held by the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on November 9, 2015, RES Americas Development Inc. secured the rights to develop one of the two leases that were awarded. The lease comprises an area that could potentially accommodate more than 1,000MW of offshore wind. Following approval from BOEM, the lease will be taken over by DONG Energy. RES Americas will continue to support development of the lease area as agreed with DONG Energy. Samuel Leupold, Executive Vice President of Wind Power, said: “The U.S. is an interesting market for offshore wind with the potential to become a significant area for future development. With the transfer of the offshore wind development projects in the U.S., we are broadening our international scope. The site conditions are quite similar to those we currently work with in North-Western Eu- rope which means that the project could be developed using well-known technology.” The New Jersey lease has a total size of 160,480 acres and is located approximately ten nautical miles offshore. The average water depth is approximately 25 meters. New York LS Cable wins $100m. contract for U.S. and Canada LS Cable & System (LS C&S), the world's toptier cable manufacturer, has won an exclusive contract for undersea cable projects worth $100 million (120 billion won) in the U.S. and Canada. Under the deal, the company will provide undersea cables worth $47 million to the New York Power Authority (NYPA). The project will allow LS Cable to supply cables for Lake Champlain between New York and Vermont. The cable manufacturer also recently won a $54 million contract to provide undersea cables for Canada's eastern province of Prince Edward Island. "LS Cable is successfully penetrating the undersea cable market in North America, based on our decade-long expertise as an extra-high voltage cable supplier to the U.S.," Yoon Jae-in, president of the company's American business unit, said. The company said there is huge potential in the U.S., with increasing demand to replace the country's outdated power cables. The lifecycle for an undersea cable is between 30 to 50 years. LS Cable said the global undersea cable market is expected to be worth about 8 trillion won by 2018, a two-fold increase from 2016, amid rising demand for natural resources development and inter-country Page 50 electrical grid projects. "We have a strong foothold in the Asian market, and aim to diversify our revenue channels not just into North America, but into Europe and Africa too," an LS Cable official said. The company recently won a $57 million contract supplying 345-kilovolt underground power transmission cables to a U.S. company. The cable manufacturer operates Asia's largest undersea cable manufacturing facility in Gangwon Province. The company makes power transmission cables, undersea cables and electrical components. project updates North America Pacific Ocean Microsoft’s Project Natick Tests Datacenter Underwater A team of Microsoft employees has been testing underwater datacenter in the Pacific Ocean in 2015. The datacenter, which consumed computing power equivalent to 300 desktop PCs, was deployed inside a container. The experiment, named Project Natick, could use renewable energy sorces to get the power needed for storing, processing and/or distributing massive amounts of information. Building of a vessel that housed the experimental datacenter took 90 days. Once the vessel was submerged last August, the researchers monitored the container from their offices on Microsoft’s Redmond campus. Using cameras and other sensors, they recorded data like temperature, humidity, the amount of power being used for the system, even the speed of the current. “Going under water could solve several problems by introducing a new power source, greatly reducing cooling costs, closing the distance to connected populations and making it easier and faster to set up datacenters,” the company said. Ben Cutler, Project Manager, said: “We take a big whack at big problems, on a short-term basis. We take a look at something from a new angle, a different perspective, with a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom.” The team is currently planning the project’s next phase, which could include a vessel four times the size of the current container with as much as 20 times the compute power. The team is also evaluating test sites for the vessel, which could be in the water for at least a year, deployed with a renewable ocean energy source. Meanwhile, the initial vessel is now back on land, sitting in the lot of one of Microsoft’s buildings. “We’re learning how to reconfigure firmware and drivers for disk drives, to get longer life out of them. We’re managing power, learning more about using less. These lessons will translate to better ways to operate our datacenters. Even if we never do this on a bigger scale, we’re learning so many lessons,” said Peter Lee, corporate vice president of Microsoft Research NExT. FOR ADVANCED CABLE ROUTE SOLUTIONS... Cable Analyst II seamless workflow process-oriented tools logical data structure rich ArcGIS™ platform Software for submarine cable route design, engineering and management • Manage your cable repository • Design and engineer cable routes • Store multiple versions of routes • Create RPL, SLD and cost reports ...COUNT ON FUGRO Email: [email protected] www.fugro-pelagos.com/cableanalystII Page 51 project updates North America Bahamas SST Completes Engineering Project for the US Navy Sound & Sea Technology Inc. (SST) has recently completed the recovery, upgrade and redeployment of an undersea acoustic array which is part of a system the used by the U.D. Navy for subsea acoustic measurements (Figure 1). Figure 2. Map showing Andros Island, Bahamas and Tongue of the Ocean near location of the STAFAC array. Figure 1. SST and Navy personnel recover STAFAC array in November, 2015. The array is moored near The South Tongue of the Ocean Acoustic Facility (STAFAC) on Andros Island, Bahamas (Figure 2) and has a tracking and communication system and seafloor cable system for power and telemetry. The system consists of two vertical high gain measurement system (HGMS) array structures moored in 4,000 feet of water; an underwater tracking and communication Figure 3. SST designed and built a 15-Ton A-frame for the installation of the array system in 2008. The same A-Frame was assembled and installed onto the MV Shelia Bordelon for the STAFAC Refurbishment Operation. system; and a seafloor cable system (with shallow water junction box) for power and telemetry from the United States Navy's Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center Page 52 Figure 4. SST subcontracted the MV Shelia Bordelon for the recovery and installation of the STAFAC mooring (AUTEC) shore facility on Andros Island to the underwater array. SST, with a Navy team, designed and installed the STAFAC mooring and mechanical systems, including a large A-frame (Figure 3) and has conducted all of the operations for maintenance and upgrades since 2008. project updates North America Gulf of Mexico McDermott Scoops Anadarko Subsea Gig Lay Vessel 105 and North Ocean 102 are docked to support operations at McDermott’s spoolbase facility in Gulfport, Mississippi. McDermott has been awarded a subsea umbilical and flowline installation contract by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in support of its Phase II development of the Caesar/Tonga field located in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Caesar/Tonga Phase II is being developed as a subsea tieback to the Anadarko-operated Constitution spar, located in Block Green Canyon 726 and 727, with the new development in approximately 5,000 feet of water. The scope covers: • Project management; • Engineering, fabrication and installation of two 7,700-feet-long Pipe-in-Pipe (PIP) insulated rigid flowlines terminated by pipeline end terminations (PLETs) on either end; • Installation of one subsea manifold and associated jumpers; • Installation of a subsea control umbilical approximately 72,000-feet long and associated flying leads; • Pre-commissioning. “The combination of our Pipe-in-Pipe experience, efficiency of the Lay Vessel 105 (LV105) and our Gulfport spoolbase led McDermott to secure this important contract from Anadarko,” said Scott Munro. vice president for Americas, Europe and Africa, McDermott. “We appreciate Anadarko’s trust in our experience and ability to deliver in the Gulf of Mexico.” McDermott’s operating center in Houston, Texas, has started the overall project management and engineering. The PIP flowlines are expected to be assembled and fabricated at McDermott’s spoolbase facility in Gulfport, Mississippi. Offshore installation is expected to be completed in late 2016 by the LV105, McDermott’s deepwater rigid reel-lay vessel, and by the North Ocean 102, McDermott’s deepwater flexible lay vessel, which is expected to complete the umbilical installation and subsea construction scope of work. “The lump sum contract award will be reflected in McDermott’s fourth quarter 2015 backlog,” the company said in a press release. California Hermosa Beach to serve four submarine cables According to a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) released recently, the city of Hermosa Beach in Los Angeles, California could serve as a landing site for up to four submarine cables connecting the US coast to a number of locations, including southeast Asia, China, Australia and Japan. Under RAM Telecom International’s (RTI’)s Transpacific Submarine Fibre Optic Cable Systems project, the SEA-US cable (scheduled to be ready for service [RFS] by end2016) and a second fibre-optic network – the planned China-US system – are both set to land at the mooted 25th Street site. Two Page 53 additional ‘cross-Pacific’ submarine networks are also projected to land at Hermosa (25th Street or Neptune Avenue) between 2017-2020 and 2020-2025. The DEIR is open for public comments until 17 February. project updates Caribbean Caribbean C&W Networks Selects Xtera for Upgrading Its Multiple Submarine Cable Systems to 100G Technology C&W Networks, part of Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), the largest telecommunications service provider across the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico and United States with more than 48,000 miles of subsea fiber-optic network has selected Xtera Communications, Inc., a leading provider of high-capacity, costeffective optical transport solutions, for upgrading its submarine cable systems in the western Atlantic ocean and the Caribbean Sea to 100G. By introducing Xtera’s 100G coherent solution, C&W Networks continues to offer robust services across 42 countries with superior reliability and scalability of international wholesale capacity. C&W Networks has bolstered its subsea network capacity by upgrading several unrepeatered and repeatered segments to 100G, using Xtera’s Nu-Wave OptimaTM multi-purpose optical networking platform. The submarine cable systems were upgraded with new 100G channels to include the 1,570 km Gemini – Bermuda cable system, the 1,700 km Caribbean – US (CBUS) cable system, the 1,700 km East West Cable (EWC) system, the 1,440 km festoon Eastern Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS), and part of the 8,700 km ARCOS-1 submarine ring. "The global build-out of data centers, coupled with rapid deployment of cloud-based services, are driving renewed demand for even higher fixed and burst rate connections with emphasis on high availability through redundancy,” said Paul Scott, President of C&W Networks. “Our goal is to proactively prepare our networks with the right technology to efficiently address the evolving business needs of today and the future. We are very excited to enhance our net- work performance to100G and 100G+ and Xtera was a natural choice for us.” The same optical networking platform was used over the unrepeatered and repeatered segments, enabling a unified, seamless network from an operational perspective. For the upgrade of unrepeatered segments, advanced 100G optical channel technology combined with Xtera’s Wise RamanTM solution raised the capacity to multi terabits per second level even on the longest unrepeatered segments (approaching 400 km spans). This combination of technologies also enabled C&W Networks to bypass some intermediate sites when no local add/drop of 100G waves was needed, eliminating the need for back-to-back terminal equipment as found in the previous network design based on 10G optical channel technology. “Strengthening our relationship with C&W Networks, these new upgrade projects are further evidence of the confidence network operators place in Xtera’s capabilities to improve subsea optical transmission infrastructure already deployed across the world,” said Jon Hopper, President and Chief Executive Officer of Xtera. “Upgrading existing subsea cable systems to increase their Page 54 capacity and extend their lifetime – from a capacity-cost perspective – is part of our subsea solution portfolio, which includes subsea cable recovery and re-lay, and as well as new build.” About C&W Networks C&W Networks is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cable & Wireless Communications and a wholesale telecommunications service provider that offers broadband, IP capacity and a growing portfolio of managed services and integrated solutions to global, regional and local telecom carriers, TV cable companies, Internet Service Providers and Network Integrators. C&W Networks operates the largest subsea multi-ring fibreoptic network throughout the greater Caribbean, Central American and Andean region along with the most comprehensive fully meshed MPLS network in the region. Reaching 42 countries, the company’s fully protected ringed submarine fibre optic network spans more than 48,000km. Cable routes include the Caribbean Opticalring System (ARCOS-1), Colombia-Florida Express (CFX-1), EC-Link cable system, Fibralink, Maya 1, Eastern Caribbean Fiber Express (ECFS), Taino-Carib, East-West, (continues on p. 55) project updates Caribbean (continued) Caribbean C&W Networks Selects Xtera for Upgrading Its Multiple Submarine Cable Systems to 100G Technology CaymanJamaica Fibre system, CaribbeanBermuda U.S (CBUS), Americas II, Gemini Bermuda, Pan America (PAN-AM), Antillas 1 and Pacific Caribbean Cable System (PCCS). For more information visit: www.cwnetworks.com. About Cable & Wireless Communications Cable & Wireless Communications Plc (CWC) is a full service communications and entertainment provider, operating in the Caribbean and Latin America. With annual sales of over $2.4bn, it operates both mobile and fixed networks, supported by submarine and terrestrial optical fibre backhaul capacity. Through the acquisition of Columbus International Inc. on 31 March 2015, CWC now delivers superior highspeed mobile data, broadband and video services. It has leading market positions in Mobile, Fixed Line, Broadband and Video consumer offers. Through its business division, CWC provides data centre hosting, domestic and international managed network services, and customised IT service solutions, utilising cloud technology to serve business and government customers. The company also operates a state-of-theart subsea fibre optic cable network that spans more than 48,000 km – the most extensive in the region – as well as 38,000 km of terrestrial fibre providing wholesale and carrier backhaul capacity. CWC has more than 7,200 employees serving over 6.3 million customers (Mobile 4.1m; Fixed Line 1.1m; Video 465k and Broadband 680k) as well as over 125k corporate clients across 42 countries. The Company’s leading brands include; LIME and Flow in the Caribbean; BTC in The Bahamas; Mas Movil in Panama; C&W Business and C&W Networks. CWC is the market leader in most products offered and territories served. It is a major contributor to local communities through its corporate social responsibility programmes. Cable & Wireless Communications’ shares are quoted on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker CWC. The company is headquartered in London with its operational hub located in Miami, within close proximity to the Caribbean and Latin America. For more information, please visit: www. cwc.com. About Xtera Communications, Inc. Xtera Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: XCOM) is a leading provider of high-capacity, cost-effective optical transport solutions, supporting the high growth in global demand for bandwidth. Xtera sells solutions to telecommunications service providers, content service providers, enterprises and government entities worldwide. Xtera’s proprietary Wise RamanTM optical amplification technology leads to capacity and reach performance advantages over competitive products. Xtera’s solutions enable costeffective capacity to meet customers’ bandwidth requirements of today and to support their increasing bandwidth demand fueled by the development of data centers and related cloud-based services. For more information, visit www.xtera.com, contact [email protected] or connect via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Cuba - US Cuba – US cable under consideration Cuba is reportedly interested in laying a submarine cable linking Havana with Miami (US), according to Daniel Sepulveda, the United States’ Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Coordinator for International Communications and Policy Information. TeleSemana quotes the official as saying that the initiative would be useful in terms of redundancy, lower latency and in cases of emergency, adding that ‘communica- Page 55 tions would be much more efficient if they came from Miami, than if they come from Venezuela’. Cuba is currently served by the 1,860km Alba-1 cable, which was built by Alcatel-Lucent and deployed in 2011. project updates Caribbean Cuba - US UCT 1 - Unit of choice for GTMO cable landing Dial-up internet, America Online (AOL), and the sound of a modem connecting through the phone line. These memories take us back to the ‘90s with the birth of the World Wide Web and 56kbps. To put that into perspective: at maximum speed which is rarely attained, one poor quality song might have taken 10 minutes to download; a movie took 28 hours at best! Today, customers can purchase fiber-optic services with access speeds up to 500 Mbps, almost 9,000 times the speeds from 20 years ago. With Verizon FIOS speed estimates, that same song downloads in less than a second and the movie in less than 15. At Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, (GTMO) the current satellite broadband network provides an experience reminiscent of the 1990s. Bandwidth limitations plague the user’s experience. In the article, "How does it work: Satellite Communications” written by Army Sgt. Saul Rosa, service managers claim that 50 percent of the bandwidth can be affected by just 5 percent of users. In an attempt to prevent such monopolization, users are automatically logged off the network every four hours. Traffic remains so heavy, however, that successfully downloading much of anything within the four-hour time limit is virtually impossible. Streaming video is equally as, if not more, frustrating. Screens often buffer until they time out and video quality diminishes beyond recognition. These days will soon be over for residents of GTMO. In November 2015, an eight-man detachment from Underwater Construction Team One (UCT ONE), dubbed Construction Dive Detachment Delta (CDD/D), completed the landing of a fiber-optic cable running from south Florida to GTMO’s windward side. In a true team effort, UCT ONE CDD/A began initial site preparations in November 2014 by clearing the boulders from the path. The Operations Department outlined the scope of work and specific tasking at the planning conference in May 2015. The BR-87 underwater, the crew removed obstructions along the path to minimize cable bend radii and suspensions over craggy rocks. final site visit took place in September during which points of contact and support assistance were secured. Defense Information System Agency (DISA) funded the $40 million project who utilized Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC) to coordinate with UCT ONE to conduct diving operations and survey for the project. Lt. Ross Penrod, from NAVFAC EXWC Dive Locker, was responsible for coordinating diving operations, support, and hydrographic and diver surveys at the GTMO shore landing site. He spoke of the coordination required and UCT’s role, ”(This was) a very challenging project involving four different commands and two different contractors to come together and execute on a short timeframe. The ability of the UCTs to provide crucial services in support of this project that provided a significant cost savings over a contractor led effort, decreased the complexity of working on a restricted Naval Base such as Guantanamo Bay, and exercised a core UCT mission area to support a high priority peacetime project.” The cable landing consisted of four main phases. Phase one, site preparation, included the clearing of the cable path on the shoreline and in the water. To complete this arduous task, CDD/D used underwater hydraulic tools to break large boulders into smaller, manageable rocks. Operating the BR-67 on shore while divers used the Page 56 With the hydraulic tools weighing 67 and 87 pounds respectively, the work was both physically and mentally challenging. In extremely hot and humid conditions, the shore crew battled with the heat and sun while divers contended with leverage, stability, and the inherent dangers of diving operations. The work was back breaking. Dives lasted up to two hours, much of which was spent in water so cloudy with sediment that divers were unable to see their hands in front of their masks let alone the tools they were operating. MK-20 full face masks in scuba/AGA mode with through-water communications were utilized to minimize support equipment and maximize diver’s freedom of mobility. By the end of this phase, the crew broke apart rocks as big as a Volkswagen Beetle clearing several tons of material. In the last task of the phase, scuba divers built a gradual slope from the rocky surf zone to the smooth sandy bottom nearly 200 feet off shore by individually placing rocks by hand. project updates Caribbean Cuba - US UCT 1 - Unit of choice for GTMO cable landing Phase two consisted of placing a 1,400-pound ground plate and running the ground cable ashore. The plate was loaded on the bow ramp of a MK-8 boat with the cable faked out on the deck. Once the cable was ran ashore, the plate was offloaded with a 1,500-pound lift-bag attached. A surface swimmer deflated the lift-bag just enough to allow the plate to sink slowly to the seafloor. Divers re-inflated the lift-bag to orient the plate properly and placed the ground cable in the desired location before securing critical connection points with concrete bags and rebar stakes. Phase three. Two fiber-optic cables were to be landed from the IT Intrepid: the primary to service GTMO and the stub to service Puerto Rico in the near future. One at a time, the cables were transferred to from the IT Intrepid to the tender that ferried to the shore laying cable along the way. A fast boat nudged the tender as needed to keep it on line. After securing a three-point moor, surface swimmers guided the cable as a winch pulled it through conduit inland. After both cables were secured, the IT Intrepid laid the stub cable 20 kilometers out to sea while divers pulled slack from the shore to place the cables in the optimal location minimizing suspensions over and contact with coral outcroppings. Phase four began with the installation of 200 feet of split pipe on each cable. Surface swimmers worked with divers to secure the split pipe to the cables with nuts and bolts installed in less than four hours. The longest bottom time logged during this phase was three hours and 46 minutes! The crew then Page 57 marked GPS coordinates at each critical location along each cable path from the shoreline out to sea 800 meters reaching depths of 70 feet of seawater. Lastly, divers collected video documentation of the three cables’ as-laid conditions to serve as a baseline for future inspections. Dive Detachment Delta executed its critical role in the GTMO cable landing project to completion with precision and accuracy. In typical UCT fashion, the job was executed with a balanced combination of diving capabilities, physical labor and technological assets. More than just alleviating buffer and loading frustrations reminiscent of the early ‘90s, the improved access speeds that will come with the fiber-optic upgrade will allow service members and residents to stay connected with their friends and families back home. Quality of life will improve and morale with it. Underwater Construction Team ONE is humbled by the opportunity to positively affect the day to day lives of those aboard Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and looks forward to a similar contribution in Puerto Rico. project updates Caribbean Martinique MMT, Reach Subsea to Work on NEMO Project for DCNS MMT has been awarded a contract for the OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) NEMO project by DCNS. The project is jointly developed by DCNS and its partners with purpose to characterize the geophysical and geotechnical context of the area of an offshore power plant with a floating platform and a potential ca- ble route to the town of Bellefontaine in the western coast of Martinique’s Island in the French Caribbean. This floating platform is anchored in the sea and will use the temperature difference between the warm water at the surface and the cold water in the depths to produce non-intermittent and carbon-free electricity. MMT will conduct the survey with resources from the joint venture with Reach Subsea including the DP2 vessel Stril Explorer, equipped with a work class ROV that is mounted with a geophysical set up. “This is an exciting project for us with interesting geology on volcano slopes in tropical waters. We look forward to safe and fun operation together with DCNS,” says Karin Gunnesson, project manager, MMT The project is scheduled for two month in the first quarter of 2016. WHEN CAPABILITY COUNTS... With over 25 years of industry experience, and having conducted more cable route surveys worldwide than any other company, Fugro is the leader in submarine fibre and power cable consulting and marine survey. Desktop Study Services Route Engineering & Consultation Landing Site Selection Permitting Studies Feasibility and Hazard Assessment Charting and GIS Services Submarine Cable Services ...COUNT ON FUGRO E: [email protected] www.fugro.com/marine-survey Page 58 Geophysical Surveys Geotechnical Surveys Burial Assessment Surveys Charting and Reporting Post Lay Cable Inspections project updates World US - Europe PCCW Global Picks AEConnect PCCW Global, the international operating division of Hong Kong’s HKT, has partnered with Aqua Comms to deliver transatlantic capacity on Aqua Comms’ America Europe Connect (AEConnect) subsea fiber optic cable system, which would enable PCCW Global to obtain additional route diversity. With more than 52 Tbps of available capacity, the AEConnect system utilizes optical technologies, such as 130 x 100 Gbps per fiber pair. Greg Varisco, COO of Aqua Comms, said: “Aqua Comms is pleased that PCCW Global has selected AEConnect, our next-generation fiber optic cable system, to provide low latency and high capacity connectivity for its transatlantic backbone network between its New York and London Points of Presence.” Jordick Wong, senior vice president, Product and Vendor Management, PCCW Global, said: “Aqua Comms’ AEConnect provides additional capacity, reliability, and security which PCCW Global integrates into its global network thereby delivering new low latency connectivity between New York and London. We are confident that the AEConnect cable system provides the upward scalability and performance necessary to satisfy our business objectives.” Trans-Atlantic Global Cloud Xchange Upgrades Transatlantic Route with Ciena Global Cloud Xchange (GCX) has deployed Ciena’s ® Packet Networking solutions to enable high-capacity Ethernet services on its transatlantic route. Extending from GCX’s Cloud X location, a high-performance enterprise-class node that serves as a strategic point of presence (POP) in London, the route upgrade ensures seamless global connectivity for international carriers, large multinational enterprises and new media customers. Leveraging Ciena’s packet networking capabilities, GCX is facilitating flexible, high-bandwidth connectivity for global content and application distribution and Internet connectivity, supporting critical business transactions, data-intensive applications and high-bandwidth cloud computing services. Key Facts: • GCX, a subsidiary of Reliance Commu- nications, is an international integrated communications solutions provider. Its extensive, privately-owned subsea, terrestrial and IP networks connect most major telecommunications hubs across the globe. • Ciena’s 5160 enables GCX to provide scalable 1G and 10G Ethernet business services as part of its comprehensive data communications portfolio. With industry-leading 10G Ethernet density in a small footprint along with zero-touch provisioning and flexible transport options, the 5160 ensures operational efficiency and accelerates service turn-up. • GCX is also utilizing Ciena’s advanced management solutions for carrier-grade automated self-service activation, creation, and management to optimize bandwidth utilization across their Page 59 entire access and submarine network. Ciena is also providing Enablement, Fulfillment and Installation (EF&I) services via its Specialist Service portfolio. • This deployment builds on a longstanding relationship between Ciena and GCX (formerly Reliance Globalcom) who uses Ciena for its transatlantic subsea routes connecting London to New York and India. Executive Comments: “GCX is committed to giving our customers the flexibility to create, manage and connect their networks globally and we always ensure that our network leads the industry in technology and cost efficiency. We can now further unify our global network with the upgrades for seamless service delivery along the critical transatlantic corridor to help our global enterprises to transform (continues on p.60) project updates World (continued) Trans-Atlantic Global Cloud Xchange Upgrades Transatlantic Route with Ciena and succeed in the digital economy.” - Wilfred Kwan, Chief Operating Officer, Reliance Communications (Enterprise) and Global Cloud Exchange “GCX sought to offer its customers 1GE and 10GE bandwidth connectivity with the flexibility to software configure and aggregate traffic across the submarine cable, versus directly connecting to end users to a router port or SLTE. The aggregation capabilities of Ciena's 5160 saves precious submarine bandwidth while software provides a complete view of both the access and submarine networks on one system.” - Anthony McLachlan, Vice President and General Manager, Asia Pacific, Ciena About Global Cloud Xchange Global Cloud Xchange (GCX), a subsidia- ry of Reliance Communications, offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions customized for carriers, enterprises and new media companies. GCX owns the world’s largest private undersea cable system spanning more than 67,000 route kms which, seamlessly integrated with Reliance Communications’ 200,000 route kms of domestic optic fiber backbone, provides a robust Global Service Delivery Platform. With connections to 40 key business markets worldwide spanning Asia, North America, Europe and the Middle East, GCX delivers Managed Services to more than 160 countries and offer extensive VPLS-enabled Ethernet network capabilities globally. GCX is equipped to support businesses through the deployment of next generation Enterprise solutions across its Cloud Delivery Networks. Page 60 About Ciena Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) is the network specialist. We collaborate with customers worldwide to unlock the strategic potential of their networks and fundamentally change the way they perform and compete. Ciena leverages its deep expertise in packet and optical networking and distributed software automation to deliver solutions in alignment with its OPn architecture for next-generation networks. We enable a high-scale, programmable infrastructure that can be controlled and adapted by network-level applications, and provide open interfaces to coordinate computing, storage and network resources in a unified, virtualized environment. project updates World Asia – Africa - Europe AAE-1 Consortium Selects Xtera for the Supply of Equipment Supporting the Terrestrial Segments of Its 25,000 km Network per fiber pair. Xtera’s flex-rate channel card features integrated service protection, offering fast 50 ms protection switching and enabling 99.999% service availability. The Consortium behind the AsiaAfricaEurope 1 (AAE-1) submarine cable system project and Xtera Communications, Inc., a leading provider of high-capacity, costeffective optical transport solutions, announced the signature of a supply contract for equipping the three terrestrial segments in the AAE-1 Network. AAE-1 submarine cable system, scheduled for completion in 2016, is one of the largest consortium cable projects currently under way, extending some 25,000 kilometers and connecting Asia, the Middle East, East Africa and Europe. Xtera will equip the AAE-1 terrestrial segments in Egypt, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore with its Wise RamanTM optical amplification and flex-rate channel card technologies, enabling 200G channels over long distances. The Malaysia–Singapore terrestrial segment will directly terminate in two separate data centers in Singapore. The AAE-1 consortium members include China Unicom, CIL, Djibouti Telecom, Etisalat, GT5L, Mobily, Omantel, Ooredoo, OTEGLOBE, PCCW Global, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), Reliance Jio, Retelit, Tele Yemen, Telecom Egypt, TOT, Viettel, VTC and VNPT. The vision shared by all AAE-1 parties is to build a seamless connection between Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe to meet insatiable capacity needs. The AAE-1 Network is designed to offer an efficient use of capacity in both subsea and terrestrial segments with high availability and low latency to fulfill this vision. “We are proud to be part of a cable system initiative that will provide additional empowerment for the economies of all the nations along its route. When completed before the end of this year, the AAE-1 network will connect Hong Kong (SAR of China), Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Pakistan, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Yemen, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Greece, Italy and France,” said Mr. Joseph Chan and Ms. Pan Ying, Co-chairs of AAE-1 Management Committee. "The terrestrial routes across Thailand represent a unique network design feature and will reduce latency between South East Asia and India/Africa/Europe.” Xtera offers a future-proof solution based on its advanced Nu-Wave OptimaTM optical networking platform combining 200G coherent technology, Wise RamanTM optical amplification solution, and fast protection switching. Each terrestrial segment is made of two physically diverse routes supporting minimum 18 Tbit/s cross-sectional capacity Page 61 Xtera’s Nu-Wave OptimaTM optical networking platform “Serving insatiable capacity needs, the terrestrial segments in AAE-1 submarine cable system need to maximize the capacity per fiber pair with a high level of reliability. This is exactly what our innovative optical networking solutions offer and we are excited to be part of this deployment”, said Jon Hopper, President and Chief Executive Officer of Xtera. “Our Nu-Wave OptimaTM optical networking platform uses the latest coherent optical technology to offer the level of capacity and reach performances required for long-haul data center interconnect. Also offered is a high level of flexibility at the equipment level so that service providers can seamlessly face unplanned capacity demands with minimal time to market and additional investment.” (continues on p.62) project updates World (continued) Asia – Africa - Europe AAE-1 Consortium Selects Xtera for the Supply of Equipment Supporting the Terrestrial Segments of Its 25,000 km Network About Xtera Communications, Inc. Xtera Communications, Inc. is a leading provider of high-capacity, cost-effective optical transport solutions, supporting the high growth in global demand for bandwidth. Xtera sells solutions to telecommunications service providers, content service providers, enterprises and government entities worldwide. Xtera’s proprietary Wise RamanTM optical amplification technology leads to capacity and reach performance advantages over competitive products. Xtera’s solutions enable costeffective capacity to meet customers’ bandwidth requirements of today and to support their increasing bandwidth demand fueled by the development of data centers and related cloud-based services. For more information, visit www.xtera.com, contact [email protected] or connect via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. South East Asia – Middle East – Western Europe Location of Landing Station unveiled Sri Lanka Telecom (STL) has unveiled the local landing station for the in-deployment SeaMeWe-5 submarine cable, which will link the Middle East with South East Asia and Western Europe when completed. The facility has been constructed in Matara, a major city on the southern coast of the Southern Province. The new 20,000km international link will have design capacity of 24Tbps and is scheduled to be ready for service (RFS) in No- Page 62 vember 2016. The SeaMeWe-5 cable will ultimately link a total of 17 countries, namely: Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Italy and France. Elsewhere, Telecom Italia Sparkle has revealed that the SeaMeWe-5 cable link to the landing station in Catania (Sicily) – which will act as the main hub of the Mediterranean – has been completed. The infrastructure, which is scheduled to be RFS by the end of this year, will enhance existing routes, allowing the diversification of traffic between Europe and Asia. TI Sparkle’s connectivity solutions on the SeaMeWe-5 out of Sicily will be available through its carrierneutral data centre – Sicily Hub – located in Palermo. project updates World Oman – Somalia - Ethiopia Gulf to Africa, G2A, a New Groundbreaking Cable System Omantel, the national operator of Oman and the leading wholesale carrier in the Middle East, announced the signing of the supply agreement with Xtera Communications, Inc., a leading provider of highcapacity, cost-effective optical transport solutions, for building yet another unique submarine cable to strengthen its position in the region and beyond. The new cable will be built in partnership with Ethio Telecom, Golis Telecom and Telesom Company and will be a direct highway from Salalah in Oman to Bosaso in Puntland and Berbera in Somaliland, with a terrestrial extension to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. “This is the first step on our expansion journey into Africa where we will go from Oman directly to Somalia and then extend the cable further into Africa to Ethiopia,” said Sohail Qadir, Vice President Omantel Wholesale. “These two highly under-served countries will soon be connected to our international lowlatency network, gain access to all the content hosted in Oman with Omantel and consume services from Europe and Southeast Asia,” continued Mr. Qadir. G2A will be a new low-latency cable system with the purpose of bringing content closer to end-users in Africa and providing Somalia and Ethiopia with much needed Internet capacity and access to global cloud services and applications. The subsea part will run from Salalah, Oman, to both Bosaso in Somalia and Berbera in Somaliland. From Salalah, a terrestrial route through Oman will interconnect with all of Omantel’s nine submarine cable systems, soon to be twelve, with some of them the largest in the world connecting the Middle East with the Far East, Europe and North America. Omantel also hosts a wide range of content and cloud providers in Oman serving the Middle East region from their central hubs in Oman, all which will be available to the G2A system. “This is a fascinating project, first of its kind, where we will benefit from Omantel’s international network stretching around the globe to bring tremendous change in the region as access to high quality and affordable Internet services affects all aspects of peoples’ lives and their way of thinking”, said Mr. Abdikarim Mohamed Eid CEO of Telesom Company. “At the same time we will gain access to the main Internet hubs in the world, the countries on Omantel’s international network will become available through G2A to serve enterprise customers in Eastern Africa”, added Mr. Andualem Admassie, CEO of Ethio Telecom. Xtera will supply its turnkey 100G/100G+ submarine cable system solution for this project, including subsea optical repeaters, Nu-Wave OptimaTM Submarine Line Terminal Equipment (SLTE), cable and all marine services. Xtera’s subsea repeaters, Page 63 engineered around a number of electrical, optical and mechanical innovations, use Raman optical amplification to produce very low noise levels for maximal repeater spacing and offer wide spectrum for higher system capacity. “We are extremely pleased to be selected by G2A consortium to build this new submarine cable system as a further validation of our turnkey offering of high-performance, high-reliability cable systems based on our innovative repeater,” said Jon Hopper, President and Chief Executive Officer of Xtera. “This new build project is a perfect illustration of Xtera’s innovative, flexible solutions for deploying new subsea infrastructure or upgrading existing cable assets under water.” Designed for 20 Tbit/s of capacity with the latest 100G technology, the G2A system will optimize the connectivity costs in Africa and add much needed capacity to an under-served and fast growing region. “Today we are mainly relying on satellite communication for our Internet needs; G2A will dramatically change the end-user experience and enable new types of low-latency services both for the residential and corporate sectors”, said Mr. Abdulaziz Gureye Karshe, Chairman of the Board of Golis. G2A will be ready for service in Q4-2016. About Omantel Omantel is the pioneer of total communications solutions in the Sultanate of Oman with the widest choice of state of the art services with the broadest network coverage. As the only truly national network in Oman, Omantel offer innovative end(continues on p.64) project updates World (continued) Oman – Somalia - Ethiopia Gulf to Africa, G2A, a New Groundbreaking Cable System to-end communication solutions serving home, mobile and business customers. In the international wholesale arena, Omantel is considered one of the most prominent and competitive wholesale telecommunication providers in the Middle East region. In addition, it is one of the leading companies in the field of submarine cable networks and a key participant in several submarine cables, complemented by direct terrestrial links, which link Asia, Europe and America passing through Oman to meet the international capacity requirements of customers locally and internationally, thereby sustaining the Company’s leading position among its competitors. Omantel’s wholesale strategy is to be a carrier of carriers and to be the link between the East and the West for the region and beyond. About Ethio Telecom Ethio Telecom that replaced Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) in March 2010 is one of the oldest telecom operators in Africa if not in the world. Established in 1892 by the Ethiopian Government with the objective of connecting Ethiopia to the rest of the world, Ethio Telecom has undergone a massive transformation and modernization since 2005. The sole national operator, Ethio Telecom now plays a key role in the on-going development of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Ethio Telecom is an integrated telecommunications solutions and service provider offering internet, data, VAS, International and voice services. Ethio telecom has experienced significant growth in terms of customer base and revenues. By increasing its customer base from 7.7 million in 2006 to 40+ million in 2015. Ethio telecom is the 2nd top operator in Africa and has gained 8 places in terms of customer base since it entered to the African Top 10 in 2011. Ethio Telecom currently provides telecom services in the entire country on both voice, internet & data, channels, with comprehensive plans in place to meet the requirements set out by the Federal democratic Republic of Ethiopia and peoples of Ethiopia. About Telesom Telesom is the leading provider of telecom services in Somaliland. The company was established in February 2002 and has it is headquarter in the capital Hargeisa. Telesom was the first company that introduced GSM 2G/3G services in Somaliland. Since it is establishment Telesom has seen a tremendous growth in both the number of subscriptions and the services that it provides which includes voice, data and a variety of other value added services. The biggest and the most notable service that Telesom has launched is its mobile Money Platform (ZAAD). The company is one of the largest employers in the country and one of the biggest contributors to the overall GDP growth of the country, the company takes a huge pride the provisioning of it is services and the professionalism of it is skilled work force.” About Golis Telecom Golis Telecom was founded in the year 2002 with the objective of providing the best quality telecommunications and information products and services. The company's service oriented schemes are committed and dedicated to all the citizens of the coun- Page 64 try. The variety of services include voice and data services (fixed line, GSM, mobile internet- EDGE/3G), Sahal service (MMT) among others. The other major service provided by Golis Telecom is the electric power supply operated by the company in many cities in Puntland. Golis Telecom is the largest telecom operator in Puntland State of Somalia. This is signified by the extensive network coverage area where its services are being provided in all major cities and districts of Puntland State. The longest terrestrial fiber optic (700+ km) in Somalia is being laid to replace the microwave. The first milestone (100 km) of the terrestrial cable is close to completion. Golis Telecom sustains the largest market share in Puntland State of Somalia. About Xtera Communications, Inc. Xtera Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: XCOM) is a leading provider of high-capacity, cost-effective optical transport solutions, supporting the high growth in global demand for bandwidth. Xtera sells solutions to telecommunications service providers, content service providers, enterprises and government entities worldwide. Xtera’s proprietary Wise RamanTM optical amplification technology leads to capacity and reach performance advantages over competitive products. Xtera’s solutions enable cost-effective capacity to meet customers’ bandwidth requirements of today and to support their increasing bandwidth demand fueled by the development of data centers and related cloud-based services. For more information, visit www.xtera.com, contact [email protected] or connect via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. project updates World Singapore – Malaysia – India – Sri Lanka – Oman - UAE Undersea cable project reaches Chennai An unusually large crowd gathered at the shoreline near Srinivasapuram in Foreshore Estate. They huddled there to watch excavators dig up deep pits on the coastline, curious about why flipper-clad divers were entering the waters and others on a small boat were busy investigating this part of the sea.What the onlookers did not know was that these men were working on an ambitious telecom project called `Bay of Bengal Gateway' (BBG) to connect Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Chennai with undersea optical fibre cable. Neither did they picture how trillions of bytes of information -images, data, music, film, life-saving and life-making communication -would soon whoosh, laser-like, under the sea through the transoceanic cable. Page 65 "The 8,000-km-long cable will link Malaysia and Singapore with the Middle East and will have connections reaching out to India and Sri Lanka," an official at the site said. The project is being carried out by a consortium that includes Vodafone, Omantel, Etisalat, Reliance Jio Infocom, Dialog Axiata and Telekom Malaysia.Teams are digging 3-metre-deep pits through which the cables will traverse underwater. The team working in Chennai will move to Mumbai shortly.The consortium has completed cable laying work in Malaysia and Oman."In Chennai we began work and it will take a week. The work is restricted to this part of the shore," added the official.Reliance Industry Limited said the BBG subsea cable system will in future extend across Europe, Africa and Far East through interconnections with existing and new cable systems in India and the Middle East. project updates World Australia - Guam Submarine cable cut lops Terabits off Australia's data bridge The PPC-1 cable is out of service until March ... if a ship to fix it can be found Another of the submarine cables connecting Australia to the world, for data, has broken. PPC-1, which stretches from Sydney to Guam and has 1.92 terabits per second capacity, is out of service until at least March 7. TPG's announcement says the fault is around 4,590 km from the cable's Guam landing, which means it's around 3,000 metres below the surface. The fault notice says engineers first logged a report that “alarms indicated that a submarine line card had lost its payload”, and the company is trying to establish when a repair ship can be dispatched to the location. In the meantime, traffic is using alternate routes including the Australia-Japan Cable and Southern Cross. Last year, the SeaMeWe-3 cable which runs from Perth to Asia via Indonesia suffered multiple outages. The situation is complicated by the Basslink cable outage. Repairing the electrical cable connecting Tasmania to the mainland is going to necessitate a visit by cable repair ship the Ile de Re, because Basslink's communication fibre is going to be cut during the operation. The Ile de Re would be the default repair ship for PPC-1, so there's likely to be a lot of messages flying around working out whether it can fit a trip to Guam into its schedule, or if another ship has to be called in. Page 66 The cut also represents a challenge to PPC1's owner, TPG, as the telco and ISP has recently offered vastly increased download allowances for its customers. That's the kind of thing an integrated carrier that owns a submarine cable can do. TPG's investors will be hoping its also invested in lots of local caching and contracts for backup bandwidth, as if it hasn't the cost of landing data promised to users will soon stack up. project updates World Australia - Hawaii Infinera, Telstra Validate ACT on Endeavour Subsea Cable has proven to be a major advantage in subsea operations, and the addition of next generation coherent processing provides an important capacity boost. These capabilities see us continue to exceed the demands of our customers, and provide exceptional service levels across the Telstra Global Network and North American region.” Infinera and Telstra announced validation of Infinera’s Advanced Coherent Toolkit (ACT) for super-channels. This technology would cover the Telstra Endeavour subsea cable stretching 9,000 kilometers between Sydney, Australia and Oahu, Hawaii and extract the maximum capacity from subsea and long haul terrestrial cable systems carrying super-channels, the company explained. In trials on a range of super-channel coherent modulation technologies conducted late last year, two super-channel based capabilities were demonstrated – Nyquist subcarriers and Soft Decision Forward Error Correction (SD-FEC) gain sharing. The trial validated the benefit of Nyquist subcarriers that have been shown in other studies to offer around a 20 percent increase in reach compared to single carrier transmission. In addition, the trial validated SD-FEC gain sharing in which carriers with the highest performance can be paired with carriers with lower Optical Signal to Noise Ratio (OSNR) to improve performance. Other capabilities demonstrated as part of this trial include a new Matrix Enhanced Phase Shift Keying (ME-PSK) modulation technique that surpasses Binary Phase Shift Key (BPSK) reach performance; and the new, high-gain SD-FEC algorithm, the company said. “The comprehensive modulation and compensation techniques in our Advanced Coherent Toolkit enable individual carriers and subcarriers in the super-channel to maximize the overall reach and capacity of the customer’s fiber,” said Scott Jackson, VP of Infinera’s Subsea Business Group. “For example, leveraging these techniques allows cables that previously could only support BPSK to move to higher modulation formats in the future, or support a mix of formats across carriers and subcarriers, for increased fiber capacity and a better return on the asset. This next generation of coherent technology has the potential to dramatically extend the useful life for existing cable systems while also improving the performance of new cables.” “With trans-Pacific traffic rising at 49 percent annually, service providers can leverage these advances to help their business models keep pace with downward pricing pressure. Infinera has one of the leading coherent engineering teams and I applaud them for developing these innovative optical techniques,” said Jackson. Andy Lumsden, Head of Network Services, Telstra Global Enterprise and Services said, “The flexibility of PIC-based super-channels Page 67 About Telstra Telstra is a leading telecommunications and technology company offering a wide range of services globally, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Telstra’s heritage is proudly Australian, but we have a longstanding international business. Today, we have around 3,000 employees based in 22 countries outside of Australia providing services to hundreds of business and government customers. Our customers are global, our people are local and our assets are anchored in Asia. Over several decades we have established one of the largest subsea cable networks in the Asia-Pacific region, supplying wholesale and enterprise customers around the world. We also provide sophisticated network application services and have growing interests in software, video delivery, online sales and ehealth. About Infinera Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN) provides Intelligent Transport Networks, enabling carriers, cloud operators, governments and enterprises to scale network bandwidth, accelerate service innovation and simplify optical network operations. Infinera’s end-to-end packet-optical portfolio is designed for long-haul, subsea, datacenter interconnect and metro applications. Infinera’s unique large scale photonic integrated circuits enable innovative optical networking solutions for the most demanding networks. To learn more about Infinera visit www.infinera.com, follow us on Twitter @Infinera and read our latest blog posts at blog.infinera.com. project updates World Australia – New Zealand - US Talks stalled for additional funding Talks between Auckland-based Hawaiki Cable and New York private equity firm Stonepeak International Partners with regards to USD150 million of additional funding for the construction of a trans-Pacific fibre-optic submarine link have reportedly stalled. Work on the 13,127km fibre-optic cable – which will link Australia, New Zealand and the US with a number of South Pacific Islands and Hawaii – was initially scheduled to commence in 2013, but the lack of capital has led to several delays, with the most recent RFS date announced as Q3 2017. Hawaiki’s CEO Remi Galasso revealed that Hawaiki signed up a new ‘tier-1’ US telecoms company as a customer last month, thus reducing the required equity funding for the deployment. Other customers which have agreed to pre-buy capacity on the cable include Vodafone and Crownowned research network operator REANNZ. A similar project, the USD400 million Pacific Fibre venture, collapsed in 2012 after failing to secure the required funding. Asia - US AAG Taps Ciena to Add More Capacity to Trans-Pacific Network providing AAG with accelerated revenue potential. The Asia America Gateway (AAG) consortium recently upgraded its Asia and transPacific cable network leveraging Ciena’s® GeoMesh submarine solutions. This will allow AAG to meet growing demand for international capacity. According to TeleGeography private networks share of total used trans-Pacific bandwidth is forecasted to grow by more than 50 percent in 2016. Key Facts: • AAG is a 20,000 km submarine communications cable system, connecting Southeast Asia with the U.S. mainland, across the Pacific Ocean via Guam and Hawaii. It provides connectivity between Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Hong Kong SAR, Philippines, Guam, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast. • With Ciena’s 6500 Packet-Optical Platform, powered by WaveLogic coherent optics and Flexible Grid technology, AAG can seamlessly add capacity and cost-effectively extend the useful lifetime of its network. Additionally, Ciena’s unified management capability is providing AAG with simple point-and-click service provisioning to enable faster service turn-up and end-to-end visibility of network performance. • Ciena is also providing installation and commissioning via its Specialist Services portfolio as part of this turnkey project. These services expedited the launch of the new network capacity, Page 68 Executive Comments: “Over the last year and a half we have seen an immense growth in the demand for capacity from the AAG owners. By working with Ciena and using their converged packet-optical solutions we have been able to quickly and seamlessly upgrade our network.” -Michael Costin, Chairman of the AAG Management Committee “Submarine operators across the globe are experiencing surging demand for bandwidth thanks to the increasing pressure from web-scale providers and bandwidthhungry services like cloud computing, mobile connectivity and HD video. Ciena’s GeoMesh submarine solutions and WaveLogic technology help leading providers like AAG to quickly and cost-effectively boost network capacities on existing and new cables.” - Anthony McLachlan, Vice President and General Manager, Asia Pacific, Ciena About Asia America Gateway (AAG) AAG is a 20,000 km submarine cable net(continues on p.69) project updates World (continued) Asia - US AAG Taps Ciena to Add More Capacity to Trans-Pacific Network work providing connectivity from South East Asia to the USA West Coast and is owned and operated by a consortium of telecommunications companies. About Ciena Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) is the network specialist. We collaborate with customers world- wide to unlock the strategic potential of their networks and fundamentally change the way they perform and compete. Ciena leverages its deep expertise in packet and optical networking and distributed software automation to deliver solutions in alignment with its OPn architecture for next-generation networks. We enable a high-scale, programmable infrastructure that can be controlled and adapted by network-level applications, and provide open interfaces to coordinate computing, storage and network resources in a unified, virtualized environment. Trans-Pacific Trans-Pacific submarine cable within three years New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and the governments of the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and French Polynesia have agreed to deploy a new submarine cable across the Pacific within three years, following discussions in Auckland. The ministry intends to present the Pacific nations with ‘solutions for a submarine cable and satellite infrastructure’ by August 2016, while also pledging to ‘facilitate the planning and development phases of the project’. Cook Islands finance minister Mark Brown meanwhile was cited as saying that the ‘most viable’ options to improve internet access in the region were presented by submarine operators Hawaiki Cable and BlueSky. Auckland-based Hawaiki is aiming to deploy a 13,127km fibre-optic cable linking Australia, New Zealand and the US with a number of South Pacific Islands and Hawaii, though the lack of capital has led to several deployment delays. For its part, BlueSky’s Moana Cable – which is scheduled to be completed in 2018 – is aiming to connect New Zealand to Hawaii, while also serving Samoa, American Samoa and the Cook Islands. strengthening the information and interconnectivity infrastructure, policy exchange and cooperation in the area of Internet Plus, for the development of industry and production with the use of the internet. Another key point is the preparation of a study to assess the feasibility of connec- ting Chile to China through a trans-Pacific fibre optic cable. The MoU also foresees the promotion of exchange in emerging areas such as cloud computing, IoT, big data, ecommerce, digital TV, Smart cities, mobile communications, space and satellites. Chile - China Chile, China sign ICT agreement Chile and China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for ICT cooperation, expecting to strengthen the various lines of action taking place in Chile by the Department of Telecommunications (Subtel) and initiatives such as the Digital Agenda 2020. The agreement covers areas such as Page 69 project updates World US – Hawaii – Guam – Indonesia - Philippines UH expands global network capacity with RTI partnership RAM Telecom International, Inc. (RTI) and the University of Hawaii System has signed a multi-year, multimillion dollar IRU agreement to supply transpacific fiber system capacity to the university. cond state-of-the-art ultra long haul optical fiber transmission technology. UH President David Lassner said, “RTI will enable UH to significantly expand its global network capacity and enhance our connec- RTI will provide the capacity on the Southeast Asia-United States cable system (SEA-US). Upon its completion targeted for end of 2016, SEA-US will link five areas and territories including Oahu (Hawaii), downtown Los Angeles (California), Piti (Guam), Manado (Indonesia) and Davao (Philippines). SEA-US is among the first transoceanic cables deploying 100 gigabits per se- tions with our national and international peers. This capacity is critical to ensure that our academic community can both lead and participate in international large scale, leading edge research and collaboration efforts.” Russ Matulich, chief executive officer of RTI stated, “The University of Hawaii has won numerous awards for excellence in re- Page 70 search. RTI strongly supports research and development efforts in academia and we are excited that our 100G technology will contribute to UH’s ongoing success.” Garret Yoshimi, vice president for information technology and chief information officer of UH added, “The increase in bandwidth to 100G technology provided by RTI will enable researchers and educators at UH to take the first steps towards participating in many new research and education efforts. These high capacity connections are critical to supporting UH’s effective leadership and participation in national and global science efforts that require very large datasets transported between computational and visualization nodes in real-time or near-realtime.” In a recent PBN article, UH Spokesman Dan Meisenzahl said, “Funding was provided by the Legislature a few years ago specifically to acquire capacity between Hawaii and the Mainland. We did a specialized and fully competitive procurement, and got to execute contracts in mid-2015. Our deal is a 25 year Indefeasible Right of Use contract at $5.9 million, although we encumbered the full $6 million for contingency.” project updates World US – Hawaii – Guam – Indonesia - Philippines RTI and Bluesky Pacific Group to Provide Seamless Connectivity Between US, Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, American Samoa, New Zealand, and Key Asian Destinations RAM Telecom International, Inc. “RTI” announces collaboration with Bluesky Pacific Group, a subsidiary of Amper SA, to interconnect the Southeast Asia - United States “SEA-US” Cable system with Bluesky Pacific Group’s Moana Cable system. RTI and Bluesky Pacific Group intend to connect their cable investments to provide end-to-end connectivity to the US West Coast, Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, American Samoa, New Zealand, and key Asian destinations. When completed, the agreement will optimize connectivity between the SEA-US and Moana Cable systems, bringing their respective customers superior access to global content. RTI will provide Bluesky Pacific Group with interconnection to SEA-US. Upon its anticipated completion at the end of 2016, SEA-US will link five areas and territories including Oahu (Hawaii), downtown Los Angeles (California), Piti (Guam), Davao (Philippines), and Manado (Indonesia). The SEA-US cable is among the first transoceanic cables deploying 100 gigabits per second state-of-the-art ultra long haul optical fiber transmission technology. Bluesky Pacific Group will provide RTI interconnection to its Moana Cable to deliver content at faster speeds to key island destinations, as well as onward connectivity to New Zealand. Upon its completion, which is targeted for 2018, the Moana Cable system will link New Zealand and Hawaii, serving Samoa and American Samoa, with a second segment also linking the Cook Islands to Samoa. The Moana Cable will be the first long haul submarine cables in the Pacific Islands region relying on the latest innovative 200 gigabits per second optical fiber transmission technology. Adolfo Montenegro, Executive Committee Member of Amper and Group Chief Executive Officer of Bluesky Pacific Group said, “The Moana Cable will enable providers in Samoa, American Samoa, and surrounding island nations to equip our enterprise and consumer customers with the fastest and most reliable access to global content. Our customers need and deserve the latest technological advancements that help them access the Internet faster and more cost effectively. Once completed, the Moana Cable system will deliver the most efficient solution available.” Russ Matulich, Chief Executive Officer of RTI stated, “Bluesky’s investment in the Moana Cable is essential to increased economic benefit to the entire region. RTI is pleased to provide the Moana Cable with onward connectivity from Hawaii to California, as well as Hawaii to Guam, and key Asian desti- nations. We look forward not only to maximizing each of our strategic assets, but also to expanding our relationship to serve new markets already in the planning stages.” About RTI RTI is a leading neutral cable owner and develops global telecom infrastructure and large-scale data connectivity in selected markets. RTI offers its neutral products and services to telecommunications carriers, large multinational enterprises, content providers, US government and American educational institutions. RTI is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Learn more about RTI at www.rticable.com About Amper S.A. / Bluesky Pacific Group The Bluesky Pacific Group is a majority owned subsidiary of Amper SA. Bluesky Pacific Group is a leading regional telecommunications provider in the Pacific operating in Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands and New Zealand. The Group includes American Samoa Hawaii Cable, LLC, which owns and operates ASH Cable, from American Samoa to Hawaii, and SAS Cable connecting Samoa to American Samoa. ASH Cable LLC holds FCC licenses for landing cable in Hawaii and American Samoa and also holds a Samoa Submarine Cable Landing license US - Brazil Seabras-1 USA applied for landing licence Seabras-1 USA has applied for a licence to land and operate a fibre-optic submarine cable – connecting Praia Grande (Brazil) with Avon-by-the-Sea (New Jersey, US) – within the US. The company is planning to commence commercial services on the Seabras-1 route in Q2 2017. Seabras-1 USA – which will operate the cable system on a non-common-carrier basis by providing bulk capacity to customers on Page 71 particularised terms and conditions pursuant to individualised negotiations – has observed that ‘a timely grant of a cable landing licence by the Commission no later than September 2016 of paramount importance.’ Special Report POWERING UP: THE POWERCAB JIP BPP-Cables managed the PowerCab Joint Industry Project (JIP) on behalf of the four participating companies: BG Group; BP Exploration; DUCO (Technip) and Shell UK. The PowerCab JIP Work Programme concerns the development of subsea electrical power cable designs with high dynamic loading capacity. The project was carried out in two phases, both of which have been successfully completed. High capacity subsea power cables and transmission systems are becoming increasingly required in the oil and gas industry for subsea electrical power transmission to and from offshore installations, electrically heated pipelines (especially in the ultra deepwater fields), multiphase pumps, as well as subsea processing including all electric subsea technology (electric trees and control systems). Power cables for subsea processing are required in conjunction with offshore oil and gas fields that are typically long distances from existing infrastructure. PHASE 1 The objectives of PowerCab Phase One were to undertake analysis, material selection and testing, to arrive at the design of a range of electrical power cables with the capacity to deliver an exceptionally high dynamic fatigue loading performance. The PowerCab Phase One work programme was divided into four prime work packages: development of candidate cross sections for static mechanical and thermal performance testing of conductor materials for fatigue Life evaluation of candidate designs for dynamic performance cross section and performance definition of optimum cable designs PHASE 2 The headline goals for PowerCab Phase Two included the design optimisation of a lightweight 100MW, 132kV, 525A rated cable with an extended dynamic fatigue life. A prototype cable was manufactured and fatigue tested. The partners gave their approval. The availability of reliable high capacity subsea power cables and transmission systems offers the prospects for transforming the economics of offshore oil and gas fields and power generation projects. [email protected] The technology will enhance the capability of conventional and high capacity subsea power cables to draw economic benefits from offshore field developments and power generation schemes. Benefits of the PowerCab project will accrue both on a short-term economic level and for long term strategic technology options. Examples include the removal of power generation equipment on offshore platforms, as well as the use of remote gas for power generation and for transmission of gas to the customer. www.bpp-cables.com 1 Page 72 Special Report VARIOUS SOIL/MECHANICAL TRENCHER Page 73 AssoTrencher IV currently on its sixth version is built for the purpose of executing burial works in soils and conditions where three factors coexist; Very hard soils, Uneven territories Limited slack available to the cable(s). Its unique design and method of operation, enables the loading and securing of heavy cables on the vehicle, without reducing its’ ability to maneuver or perform effectively the trenching operation. AssoTrencher IV as the entire ”AssoTrencher“ family vehicle, uses high end technology to show the operator and record all crucial information necessary to accumulate the condition of the vehicle and the cable. Although its’ long dimensions, AssoTrencher IV is able to maneuver effectively in rough territories and to withstand the extraordinary shear forces and tensions resulting from trenching in areas full of rocks and boulders. Different tooling options is a new feature of this vehicle to enable burial to increased burial depth requirements SPECIFICATION SHEET (continues on p. 74) (continued ) Length: Breadth: Height: Weight: Depth rating: CABLE LOADING SYSTEM 12.30 m 4.58 m 4.30 m 29,000 kg 400m TOOL OPTIONS Cutting Wheel Used in hard soils (rock, hard clay, cemented soil) Diameter: 2.5 m Burial depth: 1.6m Page 74 Cutting Chain Used in hard soils (hard clay) Length: 3.7 m Burial depth: 2.6 m (other burial tools from the Assotrencher Series vehicles tooling accessories also available) Assodivers Ltd 69 Okeanidon str. & 38 Charilaou Trikoupi str. Elefsina, GR 19200, Greece Tel: (+30) 210 4527050 Fax: (+30) 210 4527053 [email protected] www.assodivers.gr SPECIFICATION SHEET A system of three (3) remotely operated loaders is fitted onto the vehicle for loading the underwater cable(s) to be protected. Monitoring of the vehicle and recording is done from PCbased software with graphic user-friendly display(s) providing a true an accurate representation of the vehicle condition, even in low or zero visibility conditions. Once the loaders have successfully picked up the cable(s) a system of two (2) doors assists in securing the cable path along the vehicle. Back-up systems are also installed for handling emergency situations. This system is diver less and utilized these specially made loaders/doors installed on the lower part of the vehicle for bottom–loading cable(s) techniques that require as little slack as possible. Cable safety is always monitored by redundant systems and fail safe devices. Automatic release and hazard identification systems are always applied to ensure smooth and proper product protection. POWER STATION A container fitted with new technology medium voltage fields, inverters and the necessary safety measures for the powering of the vehicle is used and installed nearby the generating sets. This container is remotely controlled and monitored from the control room container. Special Report SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR EQUIPMENT Up to 12 x low light cameras Up to 12 x LED high intensity fully dimmable lights Up to 5 x electric pan/tilt units Up to 4 x imaging or profiling sonar 1 x 2D Blueview multibeam sonar Capability for MBES 1 x Digiquartz depth sensor 1 x C-100 Magnetic compass 1 x CDL TOGS/NAV FOG Cable tracker TSS 350 or TSS 440 available CONTROL ROOM The control system of the vehicle is installed in a standard 20ft container, properly insulated and designed to provide control to any Assotrencher standard series vehicle. Inside this control room all the necessary controls, monitors (video and VGA), recording devices and powering arrangements are installed in an ergonomically structured manner, while uplink outputs are available for the connection of the control room to the remote viewing stations on the support vessel. Network and communication uplinks are also arranged to collect, display and record data from any supporting system installed on the vessel. The specification details are illustrative for marketing purposes only. Actual equipment may be different as a result of product improvement or other reasons. Specific interface and performance information should be reconfirmed at time of order placement. Specifications are subject to change without any prior notification. Company news ABB ABB’s Octopus for Ultra Deep’s Newbuilds ABB will provide the technology that would help three vessels safely carry out construction and maintenance tasks up to 5 kilometers under water, the company said Monday. Namely, the vessels will be equipped with ABB’s OCTOPUS software that uses sensors and the Internet of Things, Services and People (IoTSP) to interpret weather conditions, allowing the crew to make informed decisions during sensitive operations. The ships will be built for Ultra Deep Solutions at CSIC Huangpu Wuchang Shipbuilding Company and China Merchants Heavy Industry. The largest vessel’s apparatus will include two remotely operated underwater vessels (ROVs), that will dive up to 3000 meters, and a 400-ton crane that can drop 5 200 meters. It will measure 142 meters in length. Juha Koskela, managing director of ABB’s Marine and Ports business, said: “The broad scope of supply we have on these vessels is a demonstration of the wide range of solutions we have to offer the maritime sector. These vessels will benefit from some of the most established software and hardware technologies in the shipping industry.” The vessels will also feature ABB generators, motors, drives and switchboards. Jithu Sukumaran Nair, general manager of shipbuilding at Ultra Deep Solutions, said: “We are proud to be the first offshore vessel operator in the world to install the OCTOPUS weather monitoring system on board high tech dive vessels” Primo Marine is an independent specialist with a wealth of expertise in subsea cabling engineering, from landfalls to subsea marine infrastructures, with an extensive track record in many of the largest European installation projects to date. We provide the full spectrum of Onshore and Offshore expertise ranging from Engineering (front end concept, design and installation) to Project and QHSE Management, Construction Support and Client Representation. We provide industry leading solutions to all installation challenges, throughout the lifecycle of the project, by combing real theoretical knowledge with hands on practical onshore and offshore Engineering and Project Management experience. Primo Marine: helpdesk for offshore installation challenges. Theoretical Expertise meets Practical Experience Primo Marine - T: +31 (0) 10 240 98 21 Haringvliet 76 - 3011 TG Rotterdam - The Netherlands www.primo-marine.com Page 75 Company news Aquatic Engineering & Construction Aquatic in DNV GL JIP on Cable and Pipe Laying Equipment Aquatic Engineering & Construction, an Acteon company, is working with DNV GL and other organisations in the subsea supply chain, on a joint industry project (JIP) to develop a set of guidelines to be incorporated into new or existing DNV GL Offshore Standards or Recommended Practices. The guidelines will be, ‘The Development of Codes for Offshore Equipment for Cable and Pipe Laying – Phase 1.’ David Tibbetts, vice president, technology, Aquatic, said: “We were eager to get involved with this ground breaking project due to the lack of coherent standards for the specification, design, manufacture, procurement and approval of equipment intended for use in offshore cable and pipe laying operations. DNV approached Aquatic because we are the obvious supply chain choice, due to our market leading reputation, our extensive range of products, four decades of experience and our close working relationships with all of the leading contractors. “The work involves engineering and technical experts from contractors and equipment manufacturers like Aquatic, collaborating in order to establish joint industry guidelines for our type of equipment, where at present nothing exists. Subject to satisfactory completion of the first two phases, a third phase undertaken by DNV GL will result in the publication of an Offshore Standard or Recommend Practice for cable/pipe laying equipment.” The Road Map for the project proposed by DNV GL in November 2014 consisted of the following phases: • Phase 1: Mapping the Big Picture. This is intended to provide a common, system level understanding of the equipment required for the successful laying of cables and pipes. • Phase 2: Mapping the Detail. This is intended to focus on the individual components of the system to identify their inputs, outputs and interaction with other system components. • Phase 3: Following the culmination of Phases 1 and 2, which are scheduled to be completed during 2016 and will result in the creation of industry guidelines and a glossary of common terms for cable and pipe laying equipment, there is potential for a third phase, which will lead to the publication of a DNV GL Standard for Certification or Recommended Practice. Dr.-Eng Marius Popa, lead naval architect, DNV GL, said: “Consistency and collaboration within the industry is essential. Individual practices create unnecessary cost and risk, so the development of a unified approach will ensure standardisation across the supply chain. The JIP will deliver a decision tool that can be used by all stakeholders during the specification, design, manufacture, procurement and approval of any equipment intended for use in offshore cable/pipe laying and recovery.” Phase 1 participants include: Allseas Engineering; Amclyde Norson Engineering; Aquatic Engineering & Construction Ltd; IHC Engineering Business; IHC SAS BV; MAATS Tech Ltd; NLI Offshore & Marine Products AS; Parkburn Precision Handling Systems Ltd; Reel SAS (IMECA); Saipem Group ; Subsea 7 and Technip UK Ltd. Atlas Professionals Atlas Provides Personnel for Monita Project Geosciences and engineering service provider Next Geosolutions has been awarded a geophysical, UXO & geotechnical contract to Prysmian for the Monita Project in the Adriatic Sea. Through the collaborative effort of the survey team, Atlas Professionals secured exclusive supplier status to Next Geosolutions for the whole project. According to the company, Atlas’ business manager travelled to Naples to meet with Next Geosolutions, and after negotiations were settled Atlas was awarded the con- tract for 100% freelance personnel supply for the Monita project. The cable route survey operations for Monita should take approximately 7 months to complete. The first Atlas team have been successfully mobilised and are now working with the back to back team for the first crew change. “With such an important project, it is crucial to meet the teams in person, many of which are long-term loyal Atlas freelancers. We look forward to travelling to the first crew change with some of the team mem- Page 76 bers,” says Alex Meeks, Atlas business manager for offshore survey & construction. Carlo Pinto, Next Geosolutions sales & marketing director, said: “Monita Project represents a milestone in Next Geosolutions’ growth and we are glad to have selected Atlas for this scope. Personnel provision to complement our staff resources is a critical element of our delivery and relying on trustworthy professionals is an absolute must.” Company news Bibby Offshore Bibby Offshore Proposes New Work Model for Subsea Industry Subsea services player, Bibby Offshore, said it has developed an innovative vessel share option for clients. According to the company, it has the potential to provide the subsea industry with significant savings through encouraging collaboration, cost-efficiencies, as well as providing increased productivity. Unlocking Subsea Productivity (USP) re-evaluates the traditional subsea campaign model, proposing a new alternative structure for how Bibby Offshore delivers services to clients. The concept focuses on a vessel share agreement, with collaboration from several clients, to deliver a single linked campaign workscope that addresses each client’s individual demands. The USP To demonstrate the real savings available to clients, a simulation campaign was generated using eight previous campaigns completed by Bibby Offshore which were reconstructed and analysed in order to quantitatively demonstrate the potential savings arising from USP. The findings were presented to 18 client representatives from six separate operators at a recent USP event held in Aberdeen. Reportedly, the simulation model calculated an average saving of £235,000 per client, based on an overall project duration of 54 days reducing to 41 days. According to Bibby, this resulted in an overall cost saving of over £1.8million to be shared amongst the example clients. Vikki Thom, subsea business manager at Bibby Offshore said: “USP was developed with our client’s needs and the future of the industry in mind. The model is aimed at reducing the costs associated with mobilisation periods whilst also distributing further cost savings for individual clients, helping to ensure a reduction in non-productive time and an increase in overall work time. “With the industry currently facing unprecedented challenges due to the continued low commodity price, the future of the North Sea is more testing than ever. The USP proposal provides an efficient model for a cohesive approach to project delivery and provides a viable alternative to deferring work schedules. This demonstrates that we, as an organisation, are doing everything we can to support a more sustainable future for the UKCS Subsea Industry.” BPP Cables BPP Cables Adds Director of Cable Operations BPP Cables has expanded its team with appointment of Tony Zymelka to the role of director of cable operations. Zymelka has worked for many decades in the submarine cable industry, in both the telecommunications and power transmissi- on fields. He has experience in submarine cable manufacturing, testing, installation, repair & maintenance, research & development as well as design and engineering. Zymelka said: “I am extremely pleased to become a part of the BPP Cables family. Page 77 The offshore cable industry has faced many technical & commercial challenges over the years. BPP Cables has a fantastic reputation in the industry and I look forward to playing a large role in helping our discerning customers de-risk their projects” Company news Construction Industry Research and Information Association CIRIA Releases UXO Best Practice Guidelines The Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) has published guidelines for the management of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the marine environment. CIRIA’s report, entitled “Assessment and management of unexploded ordnance (UXO) risk in the marine environment (C754)” has been prepared by Royal HaskoningDHV and 6 Alpha Associates. The guidance defines the marine environment and outlines the prospective sources of UXO contamination. It describes how it might pose a threat to intrusive engineering work and it provides a framework for the assessment and management of the risks posed by potential or actual UXO encounter. Additionally, the guide identifies the roles and responsibilities as well as the duties of different organisations and stakeholders under existing legislative and regulatory regimes and pinpoints where and when professional advice from an UXO specialist should be sought. Simon Cooke, Managing Director, at 6 Alpha Associates, and a former Army bomb Disposal officer said: “The law requires that UXO risk must be reduced to a level that is As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). That means that a responsible, economic risk mitigation strategy is likely to involve avoiding known and suspected threats that may have been identified by specialist geophysical survey, and to keep to a minimum, as is commensurate with safety, those items that must be investigated, verified and, if they are in fact UXO, made safe. “However, until now, a lack of understanding–whether between developers and contractors or between the management teams responsible for each phase of a project’s operation–has led many industry players either to neglect the true scale of the UXO threat until it’s too late, or to adopt excessive and very expensive clearance Deep Ocean Engineering Deep Ocean Engineering Names VP of Sales and Marketing San Jose-based Deep Ocean Engineering has named Raul Enrique Pena as its vice president of sales and marketing. He is to drive the growth of Deep Ocean while expanding its presence internationally, the company said. Pena brings to the company a knowledge of sales, channel management, business development and marketing from his ca- reer in telecom and tech, having worked in both start-up and established organisations. He has conducted business in Latin America, Asia and Europe in recent years, and will be focused on strengthening Deep Ocean Engineering’s relationships with clients and sales channels both domestically and internationally. Page 78 strategies.” Joanne Kwan, Project Manager, CIRIA said: “This document is the first UK good practice guidance and will provide comprehensive UXO risk management guidelines for all organisations working throughout the lifecycle of marine energy, cabling and infrastructure projects.” Nick Cooper, Technical Director, Royal HaskoningDHV, added: “This report aims to lay the foundations for a universal best practice, ensuring that information is readily accessible to professionals across the field, and to ensure that suitable procedures are established concerning the effective management of UXO risks. “By bringing in centralised, formal guidance, we’re hoping to address a worrying knowledge gap once and for all and at the same time, to enhance standards across the board.” Company news DNV GL DNV GL acquires Swedish power system expert Gothia Power Gothia Power, a leading Swedish power system analysis company, has been acquired by DNV GL. “This Company’s expertise and services are a perfect match for DNV GL’s existing portfolio in the renewable power, transmission and distribution industries. I am therefore happy to announce this acquisition, which establishes DNV GL’s technical and strategic power system services in the Swedish and Baltic energy markets and further strengthens our leading position worldwide,” says DNV GL President and CEO Remi Eriksen. Gothia Power’s 28 power system experts work out of offices in Gothenburg, Malmö, Västerås and Oskarshamn. The company offers advanced analysis and measurements for power production, power transmission and power consumption. “Sweden is one of the most interesting energy markets in Europe. It has a strong and innovative industrial base, especially within power and transmission. In addition, Sweden’s power system is tightly integrated with the rest of the Nordics and Baltics, both physically and through the Nord Pool power exchange. This is one of the reasons why DNV GL views Sweden as a strategic growth market,” Eriksen explains. Fredrik Sjögren, CEO of Gothia Power, says: “It is with great anticipation that we have now concluded the acquisition process with DNV GL. Together, I see many advantages; our unique competence in power system analysis can reach new customers in a global market and at the same time we see great opportunities to strengthen our services to existing customers in Sweden and the wider Nordics. DNV GL’s strategy to address the en- ergy trilemma of reliability, affordability and sustainability in the energy industry is aligned with the technological and businessrelated opportunities we see in the future.” DNV GL provides advanced technical advisory services worldwide throughout the electricity value chain as well as certification and verification of power system technologies. As the world is transitioning into a low carbon future, these services are essential for nations making strategic decisions about their power market policies and energy future. “We are very pleased to join forces with Gothia Power. This company has built a fantastic market position and competence base during the past decade, focused around our own core values of quality, integrity and sustainability,” notes Johan Sandberg, Country Manager for Sweden at DNV GL - Energy. “Sweden is facing challenging and complex decisions around its energy future and we will now be able to offer this market, and the other Nordic and Baltic countries, our most advanced power system services through an established and highly respected group of specialists.” About DNV GL Driven by its purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, DNV GL enables organizations to advance the safety and sustainability of their business. We provide classification and technical assurance along with software and independent expert advisory services to the maritime, oil & gas and energy industries. We also provide certification services to customers across a wide EdgeTech EdgeTech Finds 6205 MPES Agent for Americas EdgeTech, has signed an agreement with Equipment and Consulting for Hydrographic Operations (ECHO81) to act as an exclusive 6205 MPES representative for the Americas. Delray Beach-based ECHO81, a distributor of marine survey instrumentation, offers equipment, installation, training and support services focused on hydrogra- phic survey operations. “EdgeTech has seen impressive growth in its bathymetry product line since it was launched five years ago and the company looks forward to be able to expand its reach with the support and services of ECHO81,” the sonar imaging systems and underwater technology specialist said in a press release. Page 79 range of industries. Operating in more than 100 countries, our 15,000 professionals are dedicated to helping our customers make the world safer, smarter and greener. www. dnvgl.com DNV GL in the Energy industry In DNV GL we unite the strengths of DNV, KEMA, Garrad Hassan and GL Renewables Certification. DNV GL’s 2,500 energy experts support customers around the globe in delivering a safe, reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy supply. We deliver worldrenowned testing, certification and advisory services to the energy value chain including renewables and energy efficiency. Our expertise spans onshore and offshore wind power, solar, conventional generation, transmission and distribu-tion, smart grids, and sustainable energy use, as well as energy markets and regulations. Our testing, certification and advisory services are delivered independent from each other. Learn more at www.dnvgl.com/energy About Gothia Power Gothia Power AB is a highly specialised advisory firm in the power system analysis field. The employees are of a high academic pedigree, with half of the staff holding a Ph.D or research background. The company, with 28 employees, is mainly active in Sweden, the Nordics and the Baltics. The service portfolio is focused on advanced theoretical analysis and measurements in power production, power transmission and power consumption. Company news Eidesvik Offshore Siemens to Use Eidesvik’s Vessel to Support German Ops Eidesvik Offshore has entered into an agreement with Siemens Wind Power for a service and support vessel to be used on German offshore wind projects. Under the contract, which will run from August, the vessel Acergy Viking has been chartered to Siemens Wind Power for 9 months as an accommodation and service vessel in Germany. The vessel will undertake a short mobilization prior to the contract commencement, which includes installing an off- shore gangway system. Eidesvik said it has looked into offshore wind as a strategic business segment for some time. “I am pleased with our organization’s ability to adapt to a new market and that we will now enter a new business segment with one of our existing subsea vessels. The Acergy Viking has been in lay-up for a short period and we are glad that she will be out in operation again,” said Eidesvik CEO Jan Fredrik Meling. EIVA EIVA in Indonesia Representative Deal with Geotronix The Danish software and hardware engineering specialist EIVA has welcomed PT Geotronix Pratama Indonesia to its network of representatives as of January 2016. Geotronix, a survey technology provider, will offer its customers in Indonesia both EIVA hardware and software solutions. This cooperation should strengthen EIVA’s activities in Southeast Asia. “Geotronix’s years of industry experience, dedication, and proficiency make them a valuable partner, and we very much look forward to working with them to strengthen our presence in Southeast Asia,” said EIVA sales director Jakob Møller Nielsen. Geotronix, which EIVA has worked with on previous occasions, will take on the promotion of EIVA’s full suite of products and solutions in Indonesia. “The new sales representative agreement between EIVA and Geotronix has boosted our enthusiasm and optimism to face up- Page 80 coming challenges in 2016 and beyond. We believe that this strategic cooperation is going to be mutually beneficial, not only for Geotronix and EIVA but also for our stakeholders in the region. We feel that this collaboration will not only enrich the marine surveying industry in Indonesia, but bring our customers’ experience to a whole new level,” said Geotronix managing director Fajar Setio Adi. Company news Energinet.dk Energinet.dk Seeks Vessels for Subsea Cable O&M Energinet.dk is looking to charter vessels for emergency repairs and planned maintenance on submarine power cables and gas pipelines. Energinet.dk will award 4-year framework agreements, which will also cover submarine power cable laying and protection. The overall amount of contracts is valued at DKK 200 million (approx. EUR 26.8 million). Deadline for the submission of tenders is 15 February, 2016. ENG Resources ENG Resources to Help Recruiting in Subsea Industry A subsea engineer, Mark Cooper, has set up a matchmaking service which should reduce the costs of recruiting engineers for subsea projects. Namely, ENG Resources has been established to help subsea companies find the most suitable engineers for projects in oil and gas and marine renewables at the most competitive rates. According to reports, ENG Resources will source and provide the most appropriate engineering consultants to match the specific needs of a client’s project, reducing the risk of costly mistakes due to a lack of understanding of both the technical competences of the engineer and the technical requirements of the project. Cooper said: “I have seen first-hand the costly problems caused by the recruitment process not matching the skills and competences of an engineer to the technical complexities of the project. This is largely due to a lack of engineering knowledge and a misunderstanding of what’s actually involved in the project. “ENG Resources is highly specialised and subsea focused. Committed to getting the best result for both the client and the candidate, our goal is to provide people who will excel in the position, resulting in a satisfied client and a fulfilled consultant.” Focused solely on subsea, ENG Resources is currently building a pool of engineering consultants who will be quality controlled and categorised by their skills, experience and competence. These candidates will then be matched to the client’s requirements after a thorough assessment of the project or position. Fraunhofer UK ORCHIDS Project to Enhance Subsea Cable Monitoring Fraunhofer UK has joined forces with Synaptec and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) to develop a solution to address cable and electrical infrastructure integrity within the marine renewable energy industry. Funded by the UK Government’s business innovation experts InnovateUK, the ORCHIDS project (Offshore Renewable energy Cable Health monitoring using Integrated Distributed Sensor systems) has brought experts together to tackle one of the challenges in offshore renewable energy. “Subsea cable health is a particular challenge for marine energy and offshore renewables due to the hostile environment in which they are placed and have to operate”, remarks David Hytch, Offshore Renewables Specialist at InnovateUK. “Failure of cables can also lead to costly losses of revenue and hefty repair bills.” “As business focused innovation experts, Innovate UK recognised the potential benefits of the ORCHIDS project to reduce the cost of offshore renewable energy and improve the use of these technologies for sustainable, secure and competitive power generation in the future. Thinking about the future and supporting projects involving businesses with high growth potential is exactly what Innovate UK is for and we are pleased to be able to provide funding Page 81 for ORCHIDS and help to connect the collaborators through the Energy Catalyst programme.” The project is looking to enhance subsea cable monitoring capabilities by combining emerging optical sensing techniques to enable a smart cable management system that can be utilised during manufacture, transport, installation, through to end of life. The feasibility study will include a market assessment looking at the commercial case for the technology alongside a technical review of different distributed fibre sensing techniques. Company news French Environment and Energy Management Agency Marseilles to Host Floating Offshore Wind Players in March Third international conference dedicated to floating offshore wind turbines will be held in Marseilles from 10 to 11 March this year. Representatives from a large number of French and international companies and organisations involved in the sector will discuss their activities, present recent research and analysis and exchange information on the principal challenges in this domain. French Environment and Energy Management Agency’s (ADEME) launch of the call for projects for floating wind turbine pilot farms in August 2015 marks the rise of a new industrial sector to meet energy and climate challenges in the same way the call for projects for pre-commercial farms in Portugal, Scotland and Japan did. Furthermore, the Mediterranean has both a coastline very advantageous for floating offshore wind installations as well as a network of specialised companies – some of which have promising export potential, the conference organisers said. The International Floating Offshore Wind Turbine conference (FOWT) is organised by the Pôle Mer Mediterranée and the Marseille Provence CCI, in partnership with France Energie Eolienne. Global Marine Systems Limited HC2’s Subsidiary, Global Marine Systems Limited, Acquires Majority Interest in CWind HC2 Holdings, Inc.’s subsidiary, Global Marine Systems Limited (“Global Marine”), announced today the acquisition of a majority interest in CWind Limited (“CWind”), a leading offshore renewables specialist. The purchase of CWind demonstrates Global Marine’s continued commitment to the offshore renewable sector and adds a diverse range of construction and O&M services to its current capabilities. CWind has built an enviable track record and has to date supported the construction and operation of over 26 wind farms in the North Sea, Irish Sea and the Baltic delivering a broad range of construction and O&M services. In 2014, the company had substantial growth, which led to CWind opening a new office based in Bremen, Germany. CWind operates an 18-strong fleet that executes a wealth of activities in support of leading wind farm owners and operators, transporting technicians safely to complete essential work to assure cost-effective construction, as well as reliable on-going performance of the offshore wind farm. The 360° Service Solutions CWind offers represent a comprehensive approach to the industry, allowing clients to combine services from a wide array of on-demand services thereby improving efficiency and lowering risk for wind farm customers. “We are thrilled with the completion of this acquisition,” said Philip Falcone, CEO of HC2 Holdings, Inc. “We believe this transaction underscores Global Marine’s commitment to growth in the offshore renewables market and we look forward to capitalizing on more opportunities in this sector.” Ian Douglas, CEO of Global Marine, commented, “The acquisition of CWind brings together two companies with a proven commitment to the highest standards of customer delivery, quality and safety. The range of services provided by the team and the vessels within CWind complements Global Marine’s range of installation and maintenance services and creates an organization that is well positioned to address the developing needs of customers in the offshore renewables market.” Mr. Douglas continued, “I strongly believe the acquisition of CWind demonstrates our commitment to both growth and the offshore renewables market. We recognize the need for greater efficiency and lower costs for our customers and will continue to position ourselves to address the evolving needs of new and existing offshore windfarms and the challenges as we move further offshore.” Chris Randle, CEO of CWind added, “This is a fantastic start to 2016 and I am delighted that CWind is now a part of the Global Marine family. We share a vision for the longPage 82 term sustainable growth of the business in the offshore wind and renewables sector. Global Marine has over 165 years of subsea experience and that, combined with CWind's integrated service offering, means we can provide unparalleled value for our clients in construction and O&M, positioning the company to fully exploit the opportunities in front of us.” In its last financial year finishing 30 September 2015, CWind had total annual revenues of £26.0M ($40.3M); Global Marine reported revenues of £88.9M ($137.1M) during the same period. About HC2 HC2 Holdings, Inc. is a publicly traded (NYSE:HCHC) diversified holding company, which seeks opportunities to acquire and grow businesses that can generate longterm sustainable free cash flow and attractive returns in order to maximize value for all stakeholders. HC2 has a diverse array of operating subsidiaries across seven reportable segments, including Manufacturing, Marine Services, Utilities, Telecommunications, Life Sciences, Insurance and Other. HC2’s largest operating subsidiaries include Schuff International, Inc., a leading structural steel fabricator and erector in the United States, and Global Marine Systems Limited, a leading provider of engineering and un(continues on p.83) Company news Global Marine Systems Limited (continued) HC2’s Subsidiary, Global Marine Systems Limited, Acquires Majority Interest in CWind derwater services on submarine cables. Founded in 1994, HC2 is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. About Global Marine Systems Limited Global Marine Systems Limited, is a leading provider of engineering and underwater services, responding to the subsea cable installation, maintenance and burial requirements of its customers around the world. With a fleet of vessels and specialized subsea trenching and burial equipment, the company has a 165-year legacy in deep and shallow water cable operations. Global Marine’s primary markets are oil & gas, renewable energy & power, telecommunica- tions and deep sea research. Global Marine holds the RoSPA Order of Distinction in recognition of 16 consecutive years of outstanding occupational health and safety results. www.globalmarinesystems.com Hexicon Atkins to Design Dounreay Trì Floating Platform Swedish company Hexicon has appointed Atkins as engineering partner for the world’s first multi-turbine offshore wind floating platform to be deployed at the Dounreay Trì Project off the Scottish north coast. Atkins’ offshore wind team has been working with Hexicon to define the concept since 2015 and is currently in the process of analysing a two turbine 8-12MW structure ready for Front End Engineering Design (FEED) and physical model testing of the new design later this year. Katherine Ward, project manager in Atkins’ renewables business, said: “We’re really pushing the boundaries of what can be done to support Hexicon in maximising energy yield through clever design. The team has a great deal of experience in innovative, transformational work both in the renewables and oil and gas sectors and on this project we are going one step further in making such an exciting concept a reality.” New developments in the design of the Page 83 floating structure’s mooring system have increased the efficiency of the rotating system reducing CAPEX and maximising energy yield. “Atkins brings innovation, quality and professionalism, and we’re pleased to be working with them on developing our floating wind concept ready for the offshore wind market. Our aim is for this project to show how a multi turbine concept can help bring down the cost of offshore wind, enabling this form of renewable energy to be even more financially viable,” Marcus Thor, project director for Hexicon, said. Atkins has been involved in several floating wind projects, including designing and analysing Principle Power’s WindFloat prototype in Portugal, designing Pilot Offshore Renewable’s Kincardine floating wind project, and winning Statoil’s Hywind floating wind demonstrator Installation Challenge competition. Chris Cowland, project director in Atkins’ renewables business, said: “The integrated design capability that enables the head to toe design that we’re undertaking for Hexicon clearly demonstrates how our experience across a range of both floating and fixed offshore wind projects can add real value to clients.” Company news IKM Subsea Singapore IKM Subsea Bags ROV Contracts in Singapore IKM Subsea Singapore has been awarded two contracts for the provision of ROV ser- vices to two unnamed clients. The first is a subcontract for a repeat customer for ROV services onboard a derrick lay barge. The duration of the contract is approximately 200 days, starting January 2016. IKM has mobilized its Merlin WR200 workclass ROV onboard and will be providing personnel to operate it with the necessary tooling, the company said. The second contract is a requirement onboard the semi-submersible drilling rig. Similar workclass ROV has been mobilized with the necessary tooling and personnel since December 2015. “To be awarded contracts in this difficult and slow market is fantastic. We appreciate the fact that our clients do recognize the good work done on the previous campaign and believe we can deliver the required quality again. It is important that the company continues to perform at the highest level possible to grow and sustain during this tough period,” said IKM Subsea Singapore’s general manager, Mahesh Govindan. JDR JDR Adds New Members to Board of Directors JDR, a UK-based supplier of subsea umbilicals and power cables, has appointed Rob Hastings and Alan Wilson as Non-Executive Directors. Rob Hastings is currently Executive Director of the corporate management board at The Crown Estate. Rob is directly responsible for the Energy & Infrastructure portfolio, constituting the Crown Estates’ property rights over the UK’s seabed. He is also a Director of Indigo Power Ltd and Indigo Solar LLP which both invest in low carbon energy solutions. Alan Wilson has over 30 years’ experience in the offshore subsea sector including five years as CEO of Trelleborg Offshore Limited. Alan has experience working as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman on the boards of private equity backed and publicly listed companies, including M&A transactions for both. Alan is currently a Non-Executive Chairman of a number of businesses, including Pressure Technologies, Rimor Limited and Modern Water. The Executive Chairman of the JDR’s Board of Directors, Pat Herbert, said: “Rob Hastings and Alan Wilson add a wealth of experience to our already highly experienced board of directors. We will all look forward to working closely with both of these seasoned executives as they bring the benefit of their knowledge, experience, perspective and networks in support of JDR’s continued growth.” JDR Chief Executive Officer, David Currie, added: “I am delighted to welcome Rob and Alan to JDR at such an exciting time. Our strategy of investing in technology, services and productivity means that our Page 84 order-book in offshore renewables continues to grow and we are maintaining our strong market share in the oil and gas sector. Our recent multi-year framework agreements with DONG Energy and tidal energy developer Atlantis Resources demonstrate the depth of our partnerships in the rapidly growing renewables sector. Meanwhile, recent contract wins with Marathon, Apache and Subsea 7 in the UK North Sea demonstrate the value that our partners continue to place on our expertise in the face of a challenging sector environment. The investment we have announced in expanding our state-of-the-art Hartlepool facility will support the next phase of our growth, enabling us to offer unrivalled technical expertise to design, test and deliver the next generation of subsea technology for our customers” Company news Kinewell Energy KLOC Cuts Cable Costs and Electrical Losses Kinewell Energy has re-designed an existing offshore wind farm in a case study which demonstrated that its new software, KLOC, could have saved the developers 3% of the installed cable cost had the technology been available when the wind farm was designed. The North East of England based company used the 576 MW Gwynt-y-mor in the case study. The software was used to optimise the geographical layout of the farm’s off- shore electrical cables, which collect the energy before it is sent to shore. During the study, Kinewell Energy found that GBP 2.2 million of the installed cable cost could be saved by utilising KLOC compared to traditional design techniques. The savings were realised by reducing the overall cable length by 1.7 km and through the reduction of electrical losses; some 1.2 GWh per year. “If our technology is used for all future UK offshore wind farms, we would expect an extra 70 GWh of electrical energy to reach the UK each year. That would negate around 27,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually whilst powering around 16,000 homes – all energy that would otherwise be wasted heating the sea,” Kinewell Energy’s Managing Director Andrew Jenkins said. Kinewell launched the KLOC software in November 2015, following two years of research and development. Kongsberg Maritime AS Kongsberg Sells Six HUGIN AUVs Kongsberg Maritime AS has announced the sale of six HUGIN AUV Systems. The vehicles will be operated by SeaTrepid International of Louisiana, USA, and supported by Deep Ocean Search. The AUVs are rated to 6000 metres. They’re equipped with a comprehensive sensor suite including triple frequency sidescan sonar, KONGSBERG’s EM2040 multibeam echosounder, sub-bottom profiler and a colour camera. The vehicles are also equipped with a magnetometer mounted inside the AUV body, the company said. All six SeaTrepid HUGIN AUVs are fitted with swappable Lithium polymer batteries. They will be supplied with a topside spread including launch and recovery containers, operations room containers and KONGSBERG HiPAP USBL systems for supervised operations. Kongsberg Maritime AS Kongsberg Launches New Subsea Transponders Kongsberg Maritime has introduced a new range of mini medium frequency subsea transponders. The new cNODE MiniS family supersedes the Kongsberg Mini SSBL transponders (MST) range, which was first available in 2002. The cNODE MiniS 34-180 and cNODE MiniS 34-40V are used with HiPAP, cPAP and µPAP underwater positioning systems, and, according to Kongsberg, are ideal for accurate remotely operated vehicle (ROV) positioning operations. Both new cNODE MiniS transponders are depth rated to 4000 meters. cNODE MiniS 34-180 and cNODE MiniS 3440V operate on HiPAP/HPR 400 channels with over 500 Cymbal channels. Page 85 “The new cNODE MiniS transponders will give operators improved position data over previous generation small form transponders and we look forward to industry acceptance for their accuracy, reliability and enhanced functionality,” said Morten Berntsen, sales director subsea ongsberg Maritime. “Despite being even smaller, cNODE MiniS transponders offer improvements across the board, positioning them as the most advanced compact subsea transponders for use with KONGSBERG and other manufacturers’ subsea positioning systems available today.” Company news Kraken Sonar Systems Inc. Kraken Secures $500K Canada Backing Kraken Sonar’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Kraken Sonar Systems Inc., will receive a non-refundable financial contribution of up to $495,000 from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). In addition to technical and business advisory services provided by NRC-IRAP, the funding is being used to develop the Kraken Active Towed Fish (KATFISH) for seabed mapping. The system will enable real-time seabed imagery, bathymetry and 3D digital terrain models of the seabed. According to Kraken, the KATFISH will enable seabed mapping missions optimized for both manned and unmanned surface vessels. Karl Kenny, Kraken’s president and CEO, said: “We are very grateful for the continued support from NRC-IRAP. Their assistance enables us to continue to innovate our seabed survey solutions. We’ve stated on many occasions that cost effective and high resolution seabed mapping is mission-critical for many military and commercial applications. Placing a survey sensor, such as Kraken’s Miniature Synthetic Aperture Sonar, closer to the seafloor will result in the acquisition of much higher resolution data. When the sensor is integrated onto a high speed, intelligently stabilized towed platform such as KATFISH, better quality data is acquired at a faster rate, thus improving efficiency and lowering both operational and data acquisition costs. In fact, we believe that KATFISH provides the highest resolution seabed pixels at the lowest cost compared to any other competing survey sonar platform.” Global Marine re-enter the offshore renewable energy sector SEARCH FOR Download the free Global Marine app. Hold you device over the images to see the C.S. Sovereign and the Q1000 brought to life. www.globalmarinesystems.com GMSL APP [email protected] Page 86 +44 (0)1245 702000 Company news Latam Telecommunications Significant burden on submarine operators America Movil’s (AM’s) subsidiary Latam Telecommunications, the licensed operator of the America Movil Submarine Cable System-1 (AMX-1), said in an ex parte filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that the rules proposed to mandate undersea cable line outage reporting risk imposing significant burdens on submarine operators. The company said: ‘Any real-time reporting obligations will force operators to expend considerable resources on reporting and divert their attention away from crucial diagnostic and restoration efforts.’ Latam said it agrees with AT&T that the cost to implement the reporting proposals could be hundreds of times more than the estimated USD 8,000. The filing follows similar complaints in December by the Submarine Cable Coali- tion. As previously reported, in September 2015 the FCC proposed that submarine cable outages which affect more than 50% of traffic for 30 minutes or more must be reported. The FCC outlined that operators would have to provide details on the nature and impact of any damage and disruption to communications, help mitigate any impact on emergency services and consumers, and assist in service restoration. Longyuan Power Group Corporation Limited China Longyuan Wraps Up CNY 2 Bn Debenture Offering China Longyuan Power Group Corporation Limited, China’s largest wind power producer, has completed the issuance of CNY 2 billion (EUR 279 million) of ultra short-term debentures with a term of 270 days. China Longyuan will use the proceeds raised from the debentures for replenishment of working capital and replacement of matured bank loans so as to adjust the debt structure of the company, reduce financing cost and enhance competitiveness. Back in January, China Longyuan’s 400 MW Longyuan Putian Nanri Island offshore wind farm started producing power after the first four of one hundred Siemens SWT-4.0-130 turbines were connected to the grid. The construction of the wind farm is expected to cost around CNY 8.2 billion. The wind farm is expected to be completed in 2018, and have the capacity to produce 1.4 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually. Louis Dreyfus TravOcean Saab Seaeye Leopards for Louis Dreyfus TravOcean Specialist submarine cable installation company, Louis Dreyfus TravOcean, has ordered two Saab Seaeye Leopards for touchdown monitoring and support. The Leopard ROVs, with eleven thrusters and iCON intelligent control system should provide TravOcean with a stable work platform particularly in strong currents. Page 87 According to Saab Seaeye, the iCON system delivers pitch and roll stabilisation, allowing a stable flight even with large tools and sensors deployed. Developed from the Panther XT-Plus, the Seaeye Leopard has an operating depth rate of 2000/3000 meters. Its dimensions are L 2.15m x H 1.17m x W 1.16M. Company news Makai Ocean Engineering Inc. Makai upgrades software to plan and simulate subsea power and telecom cable installations MakaiPlan Pro has enhanced compatibility with Windows 8 and beyond, enabling more user-friendly features and faster performance. Makai has released version 6.0 of MakaiPlan Pro, which is a popular software for planning and simulating subsea power and telecom cable installations. MakaiPlan Pro includes the tools of MakaiPlan, which is the industry standard GIS cable route engineering software. In addition, MakaiPlan Pro allows the user to perform powerful and precise 3-D, dynamic simulations of a submarine cable installation. The operator can quickly simulate an entire cable lay in advance from the comfort of the office at up to 50 times faster than real-time. This is useful for developing Ship Installation plans, performing pre-lay and post-lay analysis, and also for operator training. The operator can run advanced simulations for conducting Installation Feasibility Studies and Equipment Selection. A detailed simulation aids installers in understanding how to control cable seabed slack/tension during dynamic cable laying situations such as starts and stops, repeater deployments, sharp alter courses, and dealing with irregular seabed. “We are continuously improving our products to satisfy the evolving needs of our users, whether it is new tools to address power cable installations or adding automated features to make our users’ lives easier,” said Venkata Jasti, Manager of Submarine Cable Systems at Makai. “This release is part of our ongoing effort to upgrade all of our products to take advantage of the increased computational capabilities of the next generation of PCs. A major MakaiPlan upgrade was released last year. Now we are releasing MakaiPlan Pro and we intend to release an upgrade for MakaiLay later this year.” Makai provides tools for each of the three primary phases of a cable project: Route Planning and Engineering (MakaiPlan), Installation Planning and Simulation (MakaiPlan Pro), and Real-time At-sea Cable Installation Control (MakaiLay). Each tool has been thoroughly validated and used successfully on cable projects for over 16 years. Information flows seamlessly from one product to the next, and cable projects that were planned using MakaiPlan can be directly opened with MakaiPlan Pro, preserving the information richness of the plan (GIS layers, geo-referenced notes, etc.). AfPage 88 ter planning and simulating the installation, the entire output (including final ship plan, installation notes, and more) is passed onto MakaiLay, which is installed on the cable ship. This smooth and hassle-free transition from planning to installation minimizes the chance of errors, by totally eliminating the need to use a host of individual Excel spreadsheets, databases, and simulation tools that were not designed specifically for subsea cable lays. About Makai Ocean Engineering Inc. Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc. is an innovative ocean technology firm based in Hawaii, USA since 1973. Makai’s expertise includes submarine cable software and services, marine pipelines, Seawater Air Conditioning (SWAC), Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), underwater vehicles, and marine engineering and R&D. For the last 16 years, Makai has produced the world’s most popular submarine cable installation, planning, and simulation software. Makai is ISO 9001:2008 certified. Visit www.makai.com for more. Company news Marine Power Systems SST Finalizes WaveSub Pump Testing Marine Power Systems (MPS), a Swanseabased company, has recently completed testing of its prototype pump, a key subsystem of the company’s WaveSub wave energy converter (WEC). The project has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government, with MPS receiving a £2 million grant in October 2015. The pump was deployed in the pickling pond, a tidal lagoon in the Pembroke Port prior to being recovered for testing. The aim of the pump testing was to determine whether any biofouling or corrosion affected the performance of the pump, the company explained. The testing was conducted by Severn Subsea Technologies (SST). SST conducted a series of tests to ascertain its performance, including measuring flow rates pre- and post-deployment at sea. A critical aspect of the prototype pump testing procedure was to investigate whether the pump could maintain the required flow rates in operation at sea. This is required to ensure the safety and reliability of MPS’ WaveSub device, which is due for deployment this year. MPS’ WaveSub will provide a renewable energy source through harnessing the energy from ocean waves. Dr Gareth Stockman, co-founder and managing director of Marine Power Systems, said: “Marine Power Systems is hugely grateful to the Port of Milford Haven for its support and assistance through its Pembroke Port site which has aided the deployment and installation of the pump, and also to Severn Subsea Technologies for its expertise in the field. “We are reaching some exciting and important milestones as we work towards completing all the necessary procedures required to ensure the successful deployment of the WaveSub device. We are pleased with the positive results from recove- Page 89 ring the pump prototype and are optimistic about upcoming testing processes we will carry out ahead of deployment of our quarter-scale WaveSub device.” Natalie Britton, director of operations and commercial at Pembroke Port, said: “We are confident that the cluster of engineering skills, combined with excellent port facilities and an unrivalled marine environment off the Pembrokeshire coast, makes Pembroke Port the ideal location for the developing marine renewable sector. “Pembroke Port is a hub where everything from design and testing to manufacture and ongoing maintenance can be carried out, all within close proximity. It is a centre of excellence. In this case, Pembroke Port’s historic pickling pond offered a completely sheltered, secure marine environment for MPS to test components at variable water depth. It’s been great to be able to help Marine Power Systems add value and confidence to its innovative design.” Company news Maersk Supply Service MSS Welcomes Maersk Connector to Its Fleet Maersk Connector, the DP2 cable installation vessel, was handed over from Damen Shipyards Group to Maersk Supply Service (MSS) on February 04, 2016. The vessel is going directly on a long-term charter for subsea services provider DeepOcean. “We’ve already been awarded three UK and North Sea contracts for Maersk Connector, so we’re very satisfied,” reports DeepOcean Commercial Director Pierre Boyde. “The working relationship has been productive and Damen has delivered a state-of-the-art cable installation vessel. Maersk Connector is fine-tuned around DeepOcean’s 20 years’ experience of installing and trenching more than 1,000 kilometres of power cable and backed up with Maersk Supply Service’s long pedigree of superior marine operations.” Søren Karas, Chief Commercial Officer of Maersk Supply Service, added: “Maersk Connector is the result of a successful tri-party cooperation between a quality yard, an experienced subsea service provider and a leading vessel owner and marine operator. Throughout the process there was close communication between all parties, focused on finding solutions. Maersk Supply Service is very happy with the outcome re- Page 90 sulting from this cooperation; the vessel has been delivered on time, on budget and the quality is good. We are excited to embark on the long term cooperation with DeepOcean supporting their subsea operations.” So far the vessel has been contracted to undertake marine works for three DeepOcean contracts: the Walney Extension Project, the Nemo Link interconnector and the Bligh Bank Phase II Offshore Wind Farm. Built at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania, Maersk Connector is the second of a new generation of cable-laying vessels based on the Damen Offshore Carrier (DOC) platform. Developed as a flexible platform for both transport and installation work offshore, the DOC 8500 is 138 metres in length and has a beam of 27.5 metres. Company news New Jersey Fiber Exchange Windstream expands its 100G Network to NJFX’s Meet-Me Room at Tata Communications’ Cable Landing Station New Jersey Fiber Exchange (NJFX), a leader in data center and colocation solutions, and Windstream, a leading provider of large bandwidth transport, announce the expansion of Windstream’s 100G long-haul express network from the company’s 21715 Filigree Court, Ashburn, Virginia, Point of Presence (PoP) to NJFX’s carrier-neutral data center in Wall Township, New Jersey. The expansion will create the first direct network connection between NJFX’s Meet-Me Room (MMR) at the Tata Communications’ Cable Landing Station (CLS) and Ashburn. The newly-established express fiber route offers customers four main benefits: • 70 percent of the world’s Internet traffic travels through Northern Virginia, and Windstream is the only carrier that has four separate paths in and out of the area. The network connection also bypasses New York, Northern New Jersey, and other congested routes based on legacy infrastructure, ensuring low latency and secure connectivity. • NJFX customers gain access to Windstream’s enterprise-class cloud communications, advanced data and voice solutions, and reliable 100 Gigabit Ethernet services delivered over the company’s extensive nationwide fiber and IP network. • Windstream offers connectivity to and from 9 million square feet of data center, including ten major third-party data centers and data center campuses in the Washington D.C., area, which includes facilities in Ashburn, Reston and McLean, Virginia. • Tata Communications continues to invest in its IP infrastructure with plans to offer its full portfolio of services and solutions at the Wall Township facility in March 2016, including carrier-grade MPLS, Wavelength options and, ultimately, 100 Gigabit Internet hand-offs. In 2015, Windstream focused on expanding its network. This latest 230-plus-mile, 100G long-haul network extension reflects our commitment to meeting the rapidly expan- ding data needs of our customers,” remarks Joe Scattareggia, Senior Vice President of Sales for Windstream Carrier Solutions. “We built out our network to NJFX’s meet-me room in New Jersey as an additional termination point since this is a prime meeting hub for subsea cables connecting two continents.” NJFX’s 64,800-square-foot, Tier 3 facility where subsea cables from the U.S. and Europe meet at the United States’ easternmost edge, will offer service providers, enterprises, carrier-neutral operators and cable companies direct interconnection options at the cable head-end without recurring cross-connect fees. The facility will encompass the latest in Tier 3 computing infrastructure design, featuring over 1,000 cabinets for carrier-neutral colocation and greater capacity, with densities ranging from 2kW to 16kW per cabinet to address high-density power needs. “Partnering with Windstream fortifies NJFX with additional reliable, low latency 100G connectivity for our data center and meetme room customers,” comments Gil Santaliz, Founder and Managing Member of NJFX. “With multiple subsea systems coming into our facility, our goal is to provide customers with reliable, diverse connectivity options in a highly-secure, fortified facility as close to the edge as a network operator could get.” Given the challenging economic conditions, fast, secure and reliable connectivity is crucial for businesses. The direct extension of our network and access to additional routes to Ashburn will ultimately enable organizations to reach global audiences faster, expand into new territories, and drive better collaboration worldwide in today’s hyper-connected marketplace,” states John Hayduk, President and Corporate Operations Officer at Tata Communications. The NJFX data center will provide global connectivity to more than 240 countries and territories as well as 99.7% of the world’s GDP by way of Tata Communications’ global subsea fiber network, one of the largest and most advanced in the world. Furthermore, Page 91 as the exclusive, carrier-neutral meet-me room operator inside Tata Communications’ Wall, NJ international CLS, NJFX tenants benefit from a high level of connectivity to leading service providers within the CLS. Companies interested in discussing the connectivity benefits available by collocating at NJFX are encouraged to schedule a meeting with Gil Santaliz, Founder and Managing Member of NJFX at PTC’16 in Honolulu, HI. To request a meeting, please email [email protected]. For more information about NJFX and its Tier 3, carrier-neutral data center by the sea, visit www.NJFX.net. About New Jersey Fiber Exchange New Jersey Fiber Exchange (NJFX) will be a carrier-neutral, highly secure, enterpriseclass Tier 3 data center / colocation property focused on providing direct connectivity to international submarine cable systems via private backhaul solutions. The company’s 64,800,000-square-foot facility is planned to go live in 2016 and will feature high- and low-density data center solutions with 24/7 tech support, assisting carriers, content providers and enterprises as well as federal and state government entities. NJFX’s low latency colocation data center offerings provide the flexibility, reliability and security that global customers require to drive revenue, reduce expenses and improve service quality. For more information, please visit www.NJFX.net. About Windstream Windstream Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: WIN), a Fortune 500 company, is a leading provider of advanced network communications and technology solutions for consumers, small businesses, enterprise organizations and carrier partners across the U.S. Windstream offers bundled services, including broadband, security solutions, voice and digital TV to consumers. We also provide data, cloud solutions, unified communications and managed services to business and enterprise clients. The company supplies core transport solutions on a local and (continues on p.92) Company news (continued) New Jersey Fiber Exchange Windstream expands its 100G Network to NJFX’s Meet-Me Room at Tata Communications’ Cable Landing Station long-haul fiber-optic network spanning approximately 121,000 miles. Additional information is available at windstream.com. Please visit our newsroom at news.windstream.com or follow us on Twitter at @ WindstreamNews. About Tata Communications Tata Communications Limited (CIN no: L64200MH1986PLC039266) along with its subsidiaries (Tata Communications) is a leading global provider of A New World of Communications™. With a leadership position in emerging markets, Tata Communications leverages its advanced solutions capabilities and domain expertise across its global and pan-India network to deliver managed solutions to multi-national enterprises, service providers and Indian consumers. The Tata Communications global network includes one of the most advanced and largest submarine cable networks and a Tier1 IP network with connectivity to over 240 countries and territories across 400 PoPs, as well as nearly 1 million square feet of data center and collocation space worldwide. Tata Communications’ depth and breadth of reach in emerging markets includes leadership in Indian enterprise data services and leadership in global international voice. Tata Communications Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India. http://www.tatacommunications.com Oceaneering BP Calls Off Vessel Contract with Oceaneering Oceaneering announced that BP has decided to terminate its use of the chartered construction support vessel ‘Bourbon Oceanteam 101’ at the end of May 2016. BP has exercised its right under the Field Support Vessel Services contract signed between the parties, for work offshore Angola. Prior to this notice, the work was scheduled to extend through the end of January 2017. Under the terms of the contract, the costs incurred by Oceaneering associated with the early release and demobilization of the vessel are expected to be reimbursed by BP, OceanServer Technology DRDC Acquires Iver3 AUV OceanServer Technology has received an order for an Iver3-580 EP system from Canada Public Works and Government Services for delivery to the Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC). The Iver3 AUV will be used to augment existing autonomous systems and provide a platform to continue R&D in underwater research at DRDC Atlantic. DRDC will have access to Iver’s mature hardware and software interfaces to further studies in various adaptive behavior “autonomy software” architectures, the company said. The vehicle will be equipped with an INS for accurate navigation along with the Klein 3500 Side Scan and Bathy system for imaging and mapping the seafloor. Page 92 the company said. Following the release of the vessel, Oceaneering intends to redeliver it to the owner. The vessel is jointly owned by Oceanteam and Bourbon Offshore. Project management, engineering, and vessel services work associated with the provision of a second chartered vessel, Ocean Intervention III, is expected to continue as previously contracted with BP offshore Angola through January 2017, Oceaneering added. Company news Offshore Wind Accelerator New guide to offshore wind cable burial The UK’s Offshore Wind Accelerator has published a new report to inform industry on how to apply the Cable Burial Risk Assessment Guidance (CBRA) following its launch earlier this year. The new Application Guide for the Specification of the Depth of Lowering using CBRA explains how the pioneering probabilistic methodology can be applied to real offshore projects based on actual experience from an operational wind farm. This will help designers use the CBRA Guidance to specify the Depth of Lowering and manage associated residual risks to reduce the installation and insurance costs for subsea cables. Following the publication of the CBRA methodology the Carbon Trust, together with DONG Energy and Statkraft with contributions from Cathie Associates, has continued to engage industry to help turn the theory of the methodology into best practice. The now widely accepted CBRA Guidance offers a standardised, repeatable and qualitative method to improve risk management of subsea cables for offshore wind farms. According to industry figures shared by specialist offshore underwriter, GCube over 80 per cent of construction projects have resulted in a cable related incident, with over half of claims being attributed to incorrect installation and load out of cables. Jan Matthiesen, Offshore Wind Director at the Carbon Trust commented: “CBRA is fast becoming established as the leading standardised methodology for the Depth of Lowering specification. The OWA is delighted to have received a positive response on CBRA from the industry as a whole. We aimed to fill what was a real gap in the indus- Page 93 try and we hope that the new Application Guide will help bring a deeper level of understanding on how to manage risks related to cable burial and ensure installations are being planned within appropriate risk parameters.” Jacob Edmonds DONG Energy Offshore Cable Installation-Project Development Department Manager added: “DONG Energy has participated actively in the development of the CBRA methodology, and we have supported with our experience about installation of offshore cables. We believe that the adoption of the CBRA methodology will lead to the optimisation of the Depth of Lowering specification and to cost savings in many risk scenarios, by avoiding unnecessary steps during installation of cables. Therefore we consider the application of CBRA an essential step towards optimising our future projects in general.” Input values have been reviewed and checked with the industry, with the aim to reflect technological developments and achieve alignment with best practices. This is key to establishing trust in the methodology and enable it to gain traction as the new industry standard way of defining the Depth of Lowering for subsea cables for offshore wind applications. The Offshore Wind Accelerator is a joint industry project involving nine developers representing roughly three-quarters of the UK’s licensed capacity – DONG Energy, E.ON, Mainstream Renewable Power, RWE Innogy, Scottish Power Renewables, SSE Renewables, Statkraft, Statoil and Vattenfall. Company news Pharos Offshore Pharos Subsea Hydraulic Cable Grab Helps Repair Basslink After completing London Array work, Pharos Offshore has secured a new job for its subsea hydraulic cable grab in Bass Strait off the Tasmanian coastline. The subsea hydraulic cable grab will be used to recover the Basslink subsea cable for repair. The cable experienced fault in December last year. The Basslink, connecting George Town in Tasmania and Loy Yang in Victoria, has a possible fault with the cable which is located approximately 100km off the Tasmanian coastline. According to Pharos, the system was prepared and shipped within two days to the customer. Earlier this month, Tasmanian Government informed about additional 30-day outage caused by the fault in Basslink. The Government said the outage will not have any impact on the power prices. We work with clients across the offshore Oil & Gas, Submarine Telecoms and Renewable Power industries. Our in-house expertise includes highly skilled and experienced offshore technical professionals and on-shore engineering management and operational support teams. Pharos Offshore develops subsea cable handling and burial solutions, including vehicle and handling systems, with a proven track record in taking projects from concept design, delivery, testing and ongoing support. We deliver innovative engineering solutions by combining state of the art technology with knowledge gained from real operational experience. Pharos offshore personnel are experienced in all major manufacturers of Remote Operated Vehicles, Plough systems and Launch and Recovery Systems. Our multi-disciplined team have an extensive track record in subsea trenching, survey and ROV support. PhotoSynergy Ltd. PSL Releases New Product; Gets Harkand and Bibby Offshore Support PhotoSynergy Ltd (PSL) has added a new product to its subsea portfolio, the SLS2000, developed to provide the option to illuminate the dive umbilical from the diver end. The unit, with 30mm in diameter and 70mm length, was designed to provide a light source to saturation divers using an LED attached to the umbilical at the diver’s end. Operational sea trials of the unit are planned with existing clients following the completion of final in-house tests and third party pressure testing. Furthermore, the company has included PSL’s LIGHTPATH technology in its diving operations and management guidance document. PSL’s LIGHTPATH range has received supPage 94 port from the inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) specialists Harkand and Bibby Offshore. PSL Director Don Walker said: “The recognition of the increased safety afforded to divers utilising the LIGHTPATH umbilical lighting concept by these companies marks a significant step for PSL, and we very much appreciate their support. “We are very grateful for all the help and guidance we have received over the past few years from Harkand and Bibby Offshore – the level of support they have shown has been invaluable and helped us develop LIGHTPATH further for more specific markets. “We have been operating the LIGHTPATH in the North Sea for the past three years, and the general consensus among the dive community is that divers feel safer using the technology to illuminate saturation diver umbilicals, which enhances safety and productivity for all parties, including the individual diver, colleagues in the water and the bell-man. “It also gives confidence to the ROV pilot as (continues on p.95) Company news PhotoSynergy Ltd. (continued) PSL Releases New Product; Gets Harkand and Bibby Offshore Support to the location of diver umbilicals, thus minimising the risk of collision and can significantly reduce the incidence of umbilical snagging, both for saturation and surface air divers.” Jerry Starling, Harkand’s group diving manager, and a member of the IMCA diving division management committee, said: “Harkand is committed to the wellbeing of its personnel and presenting the most appropriate solutions for clients. As a company we have recognised that although not a mandatory or industry specific requirement, LIGHTPATH further enhances the diver’s ability to manage their umbilical, improving their safety and simultaneously delivering more efficient operations. “Umbilical management is a key component of diver activity for both safety and time saving reasons. We have found that LIGHTPATH helps reduce recovery time as the diver can track and identify their route back to the bell, as well as identify any snags and entanglement of the umbilical due to the variations in colour offered by the equipment. It also ensures divers and ROV pilots can constantly monitor that the umbilical is clear during equipment deplo- yment and recovery, which are generally high risk activities. “We look forward to working further with PSL in the future.” Bibby Offshore Diving Manager Ian Mitchell, said: “Bibby Offshore regard the LIGHTPATH as a significant safety enhancement and use it as standard on all our DSVs. We are pleased to be involved in the further development of the LIGHTPATH system and believe the SLS2000 will further enhance the usefulness of the product and increase its potential applications.” (SOVs) to the offshore oil, gas and renewable energy sector. “This partnership will allow us to increase penetration in overseas markets such as the Middle East, Brazil, Africa and Asia thanks to the combined client bases both companies possess. Furthermore we are dedicated in developing our newest division GloMar Subsea, the one-stop-shop offshore service partner for all subsea operations such as IRM, BoP, survey and ad-hoc diving,” GloMar Offshore commented. “The combination of the two companies, the range of services and the size of fleet we are now accessible too will allow us to grow further in the supply chain of our current customers and expand globally,” added Roderij Groen Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Rederij Groen Rederij Groen Buys into GloMar Guard and seismic support vessels specialist, Rederij Groen from Scheveningen, has acquired a 50 per cent stake in the GloMar Group in Den Helder. Glomar Offshore operates a fleet of diverse purpose built vessels, equipment and personnel. It comprises of four divisions, providing emergency rescue and response vessels, a range of subsea services as well as offshore wind service operation vessels ROVOP ROVOP and WFS Join Forces to Slash OPEX ROVOP, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) service provider, and WFS Technologies, developer of wireless instrumentation and control solutions, have teamed up in effort to, reportedly, reduce certain operating costs by up to 80% and extend asset life by years. To launch the collaboration, the two companies recently held a live demonstration of ROV-deployed wirelessly enabled products at ROVOP’s Aberdeen headquarters using its underwater test facility and one its fleet of light work class ROVs. Applications for the technology include fatigue monitoring by retrofitting instrumentation to platforms, moorings, and other subsea structures that de-risk ageing structures and enable life extension while avoiding significant capex. The collaboration between the two companies allows, in some cases, for the installation of monitoring systems, which are then paid for as an operating expense over their useful life. Steven Gray, ROVOP CEO, said: “ROVOP was founded on a commitment to offer clients the latest technology which has a positive Page 95 impact on their bottom line. Our innovative approach to ROV services has seen us leading cost-saving initiatives for clients and WFS’ focus on next generation technology is aligned to this strategy. We are delighted to be working with WFS to install, service and collect data from this key technology of the future for our industry.” Brendan Hyland, chairman at WFS, said: “Subsea wireless is a key enabling technology to achieve the aggressive reductions in operating costs required in today’s environment.” Company news Meriaura OY Rumours: CS Aura sold? There are rumours in the industry that the cable ship “Aura” has been sold to a Chinese company. It is understood that that company has cable installation projects in the North Sea going forward. The carousel and accommodation module was also sold with the vessel. The “SEAREX” trencher system has not been sold with the vessel. Seanamic Group Umbilical International Sets Up Facility in Glasgow Surface to seabed specialist, Seanamic Group, is expanding its global umbilicals business with a new Umbilical International facility in Glasgow. Initially it will offer umbilical repair and refurbishment for operators and contractors, in the lead up to full umbilical and cable manufacture. Comprising Houston-based, Umbilicals International (UI) and Glasgow-based Caley Ocean Systems, Seanamic supplies fully integrated umbilical and handling systems for well intervention, workover and BOP (MUX and direct Hydraulic), saturation diving and subsea habitats, ROVs and submersibles. Umbilicals International designs and manufactures custom dynamic thermoplastic umbilicals and cables for the offshore and seismic industries. The new UK facility will extend Umbilical International’s reach. “The decision to expand the Umbilicals International business was prompted by the growing demand for dive umbilicals with a number of recent new contracts for our integrated dive handling systems,” said Alasdair MacDonald, CEO, Seanamic Group. The Renfrew-based umbilical facility will offer the complete line of Umbilical International’s diving range, as well as offering a full repair and testing service. David Henderson, business development manager, Seanamic said: “Although many companies talk about designing and building an integrated system, only Seanamic is 100% in-house. Its value lies in the depth of design experience with umbilical and LARS systems. This translates into de-risking the project both commercially and technically, enabling customers to sidestep integration issues – reducing project risk and cost.” Soil Machine Dynamics SMD Delivers Solwara 1 Seafloor Production Tools Solwara 1 Joint Venture, comprising Nautilus Minerals and Eda Kopa (Solwara) Limited, has taken delivery of three seafloor production tools (SPTs) from Soil Machine Dynamics’ (SMD) facility in Newcastle upon Tyne. The three SPTs are now en route to Oman, where they are scheduled to undergo wet testing at Duqm Port. Nautilus plans to use the SPTs to cut and extract high gra- de copper and gold from the seafloor at the Solwara 1 Joint Venture’s project site in the Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea, with seafloor production operations planned to start in Q1 2018. Nautilus’ CEO, Mike Johnston, said “The Solwara 1 Joint Venture partners are delighted to have achieved this major milestone and we are looking forward to undertaking the extensive wet testing program that we have planned. Whilst the SPTs are the product of extensive collaboration with a wide range of industry leading groups, I would like to make special mention of SMD. SMD’s world leading expertise in the design, operation and maintenance of deep water robotics, cutting and trenching equipment has been Page 96 instrumental in the development of the SPTs. We look forward to continuing our relationship with SMD during the wet testing program and into the production phase of the Solwara 1 Project.” Andrew Hodgson, SMD’s CEO, said: “It has been an exciting time for us to have designed, built and now delivered these industry leading tools to Nautilus and its partner. SMD, together with our parent company China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation Limited are leading the way in the construction of remote mining and deep sea excavation technology. We look forward to working with Nautilus on the continued development of these and subsequent tools.” ADVERTORIAL 2016 ICPC Plenary HAMBURG, GERMANY • 12-14 APRIL The Case for Submarine Cables: Protecting and enhancing the global environment with power and communications The ICPC Plenary is a valuable opportunity to learn more of the social and economic benefits of submarine cables, to exchange ideas across sectors in the submarine cable community, to learn from colleagues facing similar challenges and to become up-to-date with environmental and legal matters pertaining to submarine cables. Through to 31 January 2016, ICPC is seeking presentation abstracts from members and non-members that address the commercial, legal, environmental, technical and operational challenges of planning, operating and protecting submarine cables. Recommended topics include: The Economic Case for Cables, Cable Protection— Good Practice and Working in the Marine Environment. 2016 Plenary exhibit space is also available to members and non-members rn at ional C The International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) was formed in 1958 and ab itt te ct m P ro ee le Inte For additional information regarding the ICPC Plenary or to learn how to become a member of the organisation, visit: www.iscpc.org or send an e-mail to: [email protected]. ion Co m its primary goal is to promote the safeguarding of international submarine cables against man-made and natural hazards. The organisation provides a forum for the exchange of technical, legal and environmental information about submarine cables and, with 160 members from over 60 nations, including cable operators, owners, manufacturers, industry service providers, as well as governments, it is the World’s premier submarine cable organisation. ICPC gratefully acknowledges its Host for the 2016 Plenary: Page 97 Company news Southern Cross Cable Network SX US POP Expansion Southern Cross Cable Network announced that it is expanding its footprint to make its international capacity services available from a further four key data-centre locations across Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. President & CEO, Anthony Briscoe, commented that part of the key strength of Southern Cross has been its ability to deliver seamless, highly resilient, capacity solutions to its existing Point of Presence (POP) access locations in Sydney Equinix SY1, 55 South Market San Jose (CoreSite SV1) and the Westin Building Exchange (WBX) in Seattle, along with its cable station access points in Portland and Southern California. “Southern Cross Ethernet services coupled with our ability to deliver high bandwidth to key content locations, has been extremely popular with our customers. Listening to our customer requirements and being able to quickly innovate and adapt to meet their growing needs is something we pride ourselves on”, said Mr Briscoe. “With that in mind, it is extremely pleasing to announce that we have been working closely with our Data Centre and US backhaul partners and will be extending our POP access locations to further key sites on the US West Coast, to include One Wilshire, LA (CoreSite LA1); 600 West 7th, LA (Equinix LA1); along with 529 Bryant Street, Palo Alto (Equinix SV8) and 11 Great Oaks (Equinix SV1) from early 2016.” “Along with our existing key internet data centre access points, these developments further underline Southern Cross’ commitment and position as the only single system provider of highly resilient innovative international capacity solutions between key data locations in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Fiji.” Southern Cross Cable Network Southern Cross shareholders start work on future international cable roadmap Spark New Zealand and Optus, the two largest shareholders in the Southern Cross Cable Network, said that they will jointly begin industry discussions about future international cable connectivity across the South Pacific. The major shareholders in Southern Cross have agreed to work with the cable network’s largest customers and other industry participants to explore options for ensuring the future stability of International sub-sea capacity supply between Australia, New Zealand, and across the South Pacific to North America. Southern Cross CEO Anthony Briscoe said. “This is not about short term supply or capacity – that is more than accommodated by the current Southern Cross cable. Rather, it is about future-proofing the whole region well beyond 2030, and ensuring there is a reliable and resilient supply of international bandwidth for the region to keep us connected to the world.” Mr Briscoe said advances in technology over the last decade means Southern Cross has already increased the capacity on the current cable many fold, and has already extended the life of its existing cable system to at least 2030. “However given the lengthy lead times, and the importance of a strong business and investment case for such a long-dated asset, it’s now time to start considering how we can ensure the connectivity needs of future generations will be met,” Mr Briscoe said. Spark New Zealand Managing Director Simon Moutter said: “We have already taken the first steps towards ensuring that there Page 98 is a long term supply strategy in place by partnering with Vodafone and Telstra on the Tasman Global Access (TGA) Cable. Spark envisages a cable to take over from the current Southern Cross cable will be the next step in ensuring that New Zealand and the Pacific region is well served by international capacity for the conceivable future.” Optus CEO Allen Lew said: “The investment case for any international cable is largely dependent on firm commitments from key customers well ahead of construction. So the best way forward is to engage with the international cable customers we already have strong relationships with.” Southern Cross will facilitate the discussions between shareholders and major customers. Company news Scottish and Southern Energy SSE consults on burying subsea cables to Shetland’s isles Electricity giant SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy) is to launch a public consultation on burying subsea cables to islands off the Shetland Mainland, which could mean a price rise to users. Until now, cables have been laid on the surface of the seabed but in future this may have to be changed. This follows the adoption in March last year of the National Marine Plan (NMP) for all activities in Scottish waters out to 200 nautical miles to achieve “clean, healthy, safe, productive and diverse seas”. The plan covers submarine cables throughout Scotland, which are at present laid directly on the seabed but may have to be protected, requiring “significant expenditure”. This cost will have to be paid by customers in the Scottish islands and across the north of Scotland, and should see bills rise. The programme of protecting the cables, which could see them being buried for part or all of their length – not all cables need to be protected “end to end” – is a rolling one which will come into force when cables need to be replaced. One third of all Scottish island cables are replaced every eight years, and usually happens when they have been in place for 30 to 40 years. The branch of SSE which deals with cables is SHEPD, which proposed to spend £44 million over the next eight years on replacing 112 kilometres of submarine cables. That figure was based on surface laying. But the new rules mean that if the whole length was to be protected it would cost £300 million. In Shetland, it has already been agreed that the cable from Lerwick to Bressay will be buried 15 metres under the seabed. Burying cables requires the use of specialist vessels and equipment. Other cables due for replacement are between Yell and Unst, where two would be replaced, and across Yell Sound, between Mossbank and Yell, where there are two cables, one of which would be replaced. The cost of installing protected cables would mean an increase on the part of the electricity bill which covers distribution, which at present accounts for 16 per cent of the bill. Although there would be an expense in protecting cables, there would be an eventual saving to SSE in costs of damage to cables caused by boats, or abrasion by weather. Protected cables should mean greater reliability and SSE aims to get as many cables protected as possible. The public consultation is being carried out in response to the NMP. It will focus on the impact on customers and fuel poverty, the environment and “users of the marine environment” such as the fishing industry. Statkraft Partial Privatisation Proposed for Statkraft Norwegian parliamentary deputy Nikolai Astrup and his fellow Conservative Party members Odd Henriksen and Gunnar Gundersen have proposed partial privatisation of the state-owned energy company Statkraft. Astrup proposes carrying out an IPO to raise capital and help the company to expand further in the international market. “We want a new debate about the ownership of the group. Statkraft can grow from being a European giant into an international giant, but it is not possible if the state continues to be the sole owner,” the national media quotes Astrup as saying. Private owners would bring the company access to capital, expertise and flexibility, making it better equipped for the international market, according to Astrup. Geir Pollestad from the Norwegian Centre Party has criticised the proposal and pointed out that the ruling Conservative Party and the Progress Party have previously given guarantees that Statkraft will not be privatised. Statkraft’s CEO Christian Rynning-Tønnesen said that it is up to the owner to decide on the company’s ownership structure. He added that for Statkraft it is very important to have predictability, long-term framework Page 99 conditions and capital for investments, which lay the foundation for future creation of value. The company recently adjusted its investment plan, giving up on further investments in offshore wind projects. Statkraft said it would focus on maximising the value of existing assets and projects that it has in the offshore wind sector. The company adjusted its investment plan since its investment capacity had been reduced as a result of a revised dividend policy from the Norwegian State. Company news Subsea Innovation Subsea Innovation Makes New Appointments Subsea Innovation has reinforced its senior management team with the appointments of a Non-Executive Director and a Business Development Manager. James Ritchie and Chris Wann have taken up the respective roles. James Ritchie joins the board whilst maintaining the position of CEO at Tekmar Energy. “I am joining a strong company that is looking to grow into new markets with innovative products and solutions for the offshore sector that is ideally placed to provide its clients with efficient equipment that will save time and money on projects. Its 25 year track record over such a varied product range sets it apart from any other company I have worked with” said Ritchie. “The recent delivery of the Mattress Deployment System is evidence of Subsea Innovation’s potential to develop new products from conceptual design to a finished product.” Chris Wann joins from Pipe Coil Technology where he had the role of Business Manager. He will be responsible for further driving forward Subsea Innovation’s commercial and business development for new products and new clients across the globe, the company said. Managing Director at Subsea Innovation, Martin Moon, said: “Appointing James and Chris greatly strengthens our commercial and sales team and gives us the potential to access new markets where our track record and experience can be demonstrated for clients. “James’s knowledge and contacts in the offshore wind market will be an invaluable asset to our company at a time when the oil price is under pressure.” Chris Wann is a degree qualified Mechanical Engineer and member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance Institute Taiwan Aims for 4 GW of Installed Offshore Wind Capacity by 2030 Taiwan expects its offshore wind energy projects to attract TWD 2.5 billion (USD 74.6 million) of fresh investments in 2016, with the sector projected to draw in a total of TWD 670 billion of new investments by 2030, according to the country’s Bureau of Energy, Ministry of Economic Affairs. The country expects to average 300 MW of installed capacity annually in the years to come, with the total installed capacity reaching 4,000 MW by 2030, and not 3,000 MW as previously planned. The projections were presented this week during the ”2016 Offshore Wind Farm Financing Workshop” organised by the Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance Institute (TABF). The workshop attracted more than 200 participants from domestic and foreign Page 100 financial and insurance sectors. The aim of the workshop was to bring together foreign offshore wind project financing experts and domestic financial and insurance industry professionals to identify ways in which Taiwan’s substantial offshore wind potential could attract the investments needed for the projections to materialize. Company news TenneT TenneT Spins Turntables at Eemshaven Electricity transmission system operator, TenneT, has officially opened a special cable storage facility in Eemshaven, the Netherlands. The facility provides 2.309 square meters of floor space, enabling the storage of up to 4,600 tonnes of high-voltage electricity cables. The cables concerned measure between 10 and 24 cm in diameter, with weights ranging from 30 to 100 kg per me- ter. TenneT needs these cables for subsea connections that link offshore wind farms (OWFs) to the onshore grid, and for offshore direct-current interconnectors (DCI) like the NorNed cable between the Netherlands and Norway and the planned COBRA cable between the Netherlands and Denmark. The storage facility includes two turntables that are used to roll up the cables. Each turntable is divided into six sections, allowing storage of twelve different cable systems at any given time to a total of 2,300 tonnes. The facility in Eemshaven allows vessels to moor in front of it, facilitating quick and efficient loading and unloading of cables. The facility is also located near the converter station for the NorNed cable and the planned landing point of the COBRA cable. Furthermore, previous plans for the construction of an Offshore Maintenance Centre (OMC) in the north of the Netherlands have been shelved for the time being. Such an OMC was initially envisaged as a base of operations for personnel involved in maintenance work on the transformer platforms and offshore grid connections for German and future Dutch OWFs north of the Wadden Sea. Since there are no current plans for new OWFs in this sector of the North Sea, an OMC in the north of the country is not necessary at this time. Maintenance personnel working on TenneT’s offshore projects currently do not need an onshore base of operations, because they will perform their work mainly on the offshore platforms or using those platforms as their base of operations. TenneT TenneT Shelves Offshore Maintenance Centre Plan TenneT has abandoned its plan for the construction of an Offshore Maintenance Centre (OMC) in the north of the Netherlands for the time being. Page 101 The company had planned to set up the OMC as a base for maintenance work on the transformer platforms and offshore grid connections for German and future Dutch offshore wind farms north of the Wadden Sea. Since there are no current plans for new offshore wind farms in this sector of the North Sea, building the OMC in the north of the country is not necessary at this time, TenneT explained. Maintenance personnel working on TenneT’s offshore projects currently do not need an onshore base of operations, because they will perform their work mainly on the offshore platforms or using those platforms as their base of operations, the company added. According to Dutch media, TenneT was eyeing two locations for the maintenance base: Eemshaven and Groningen. Company news UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office UK Helps Develop India’s Offshore Wind, First Tendering Process Expected in 2018 UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office is funding a project under which a consortium of three British consultancies will support the Government of India in setting up its offshore wind industry. IT Power Consulting, CmY Consultants and SeaChange Offshore will deliver a 10-month long project that is focusing on the delivery of a concession competition process for new offshore wind projects and a financial model to better estimate the costs of future Indian offshore wind farms. The Government of India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has been developing a policy dedicated to offshore wind for the past few years and had this approved by the Cabinet in September 2015. With the policy now in place, the companies will help MNRE better understand project costs and the requirements of project developers, and spend time engaging with the local industry to obtain feedback on the competition process and to determine the level of interest in offshore wind projects in India. MNRE and the nodal agency, National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), are taking a strategic approach in the formation of the industry and will use the coming two years to collect offshore wind measurements and gather site data to help plan the first projects and future pipeline. It is currently anticipated that the competition for the first offshore wind projects will start in early 2018 and be open to both international and local applicants. The consultancy consortium said that its current project intends to consult industry in the coming months and will soon publish details on how companies can register their interest to be part of this consultation. UTEC Survey UTEC Survey Names New Head of Finance UTEC Survey, an Acteon company, has appointed Caroline McGovern as its new Head of Finance. Before joining UTEC, Caroline was the CFO for MOL Energy UK where she was a founding director of the business which grew to comprise ownership of 20 North Sea exploration and production licenses. Prior to that, Caroline was Finance Manager for EnQuest PLC, where she spent four years leading and supporting the finance function through their initial IPO listing on the UK stock market, and the company’s subsequent asset consolidation and growth period Brendan Ryan, UTEC Chief Operating Officer, states: “I look forward to the contribution Caroline’s experience and expertise will bring to our team. She will play an integral role in the leadership team as we navigate a challenging market environment while also advancing UTEC’s growth agenda.” Caroline is a Chartered Accountant with the Scottish Institute (ICAS) and holds a bachelor of science degree in Business Management Studies and a Diploma in Marketing. Vodafone Portugal Vodafone Portugal says submarine cable too expensive The CEO of Vodafone Portugal, Mario Vaz is in favour of further regulatory measures on access to submarine cables that connect the mainland and the islands of Azores and Madeira. The access, which is under PT's control, represents a battlefront between operators in Portugal. At issue are the prices charged by PT. Although last year regulator Anacom forced Page 102 PT to reduce the rental price by 50 percent, Vaz said the action "falls short", adding that Vodafone is not present in the autonomous regions because the costs are too high to justify. Company news Volstad Maritime AS Grand Canyon III Delivery Postponed Volstad Maritime AS, Myklebust Verft AS and Canyon Offshore Ltd have come two an agreement to put off the delivery of the Grand Canyon III. The offshore construction vessel was scheduled for delivery on February 01, 2016, however, according to Volstad’s Oslo filing, the delivery has been rescheduled for May 01, 2016. The vessel arrived to Myklebust Verft in November 2014 for outfitting. This is a sister ship of Grand Canyon, which has been in operation since 2012 and Grand Canyon II, named and delivered in March 2015 in Åle- sund, Norway. Volstad originally placed the orders with Bergen Group Fosen, but the projects were moved to Kleven in March 2014. The new building numbers assigned to these sister vessels are 376 and 377. Both vessels are designed by Ålesund based design company Skipsteknisk (ST-259 CD). The Grand Canyon III is approximately 128 m long, and with accommodation for 104 persons. Volstad Shipping AS Volstad Turns Down DeepOcean’s Charter Termination Norway’s Volstad Shipping has received a charter termination notice from DeepOce- an AS for the vessel Volstad Surveyor. Volstad Surveyor is a 85.3 meters long multipurpose DP II vessel of ST-253 design built for hull and ROV based seabed mapping and surveys, structural inspection and construction support operations. The vessel was mostly engaged on Norwegian Continental Shelf performing seabed survey services for Statoil in 2015. Volstad Surveyor was delivered from Freire Shipyard in Vigo, Spain, May 2010. On October 01, 2011, Volstad Shipping entered into Page 103 a 5-year charter party with DeepOcean. According to the charter party the contract period would expire 30 September 2016. Volstad Shipping said it strongly disagrees with DeepOcean AS and has in consultation with its legal advisors rejected the termination as without merits. “Volstad Shipping AS will now consider the implications of the termination for the company and claim damages from DeepOcean AS for all relevant losses,” the company said in Monday’s Oslo filing. outlook Edition No. 165 “ ...will be ready mid of March 2016.” Dear reader of www.SubCableNews.com, I hope you enjoyed reading the Issue No.164 of SubCableNews, the Newsletter for the whole industry involved in the submarine cable market. I always try to be up to date with all the information available. Any contribution is welcome and should be forwarded to the editor. 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No part of this publication may be reproduced, duplicated, published or transmitted in any form by any means without prior written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. Imprint Imprint: Editor: Eckhard Bruckschen (E-Mail: [email protected]); PUBLISHER: SUBCABLENEWS Ltd., 17 Church Lane, CB24 8SN UK, TEL: +44 (0) 1954 250479; [email protected]; Art Director & Graphic: Christin Baudis; Advertising Director: Anja Schmorleiz ([email protected]); SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Anja Schmorleiz, Walther Bruckschen ([email protected]); INTERNET: WWW.SUBCABLENEWS.COM Page 104