New Wave Media

 

The power cable was damaged late February by an anchor, a common occurrence with telecommunications and power cables. The C.S. Sovereign, along with her crew of cable engineers and specialist cable equipment and machinery, was contracted for the repair and rapidly mobilized.

 

Using remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) deployed from the back deck of the C.S. Sovereign, the vessel and technical team onboard surveyed the cable on the sea bed, located the fault and recovered the cable ends before successfully completing the joint.

 

“The project was challenged by inclement weather, strong currents and restricted tide times but, together with the team at Western Power Distribution (WPD), we worked tirelessly to get the work completed within a month,” said Andy Lloyd, Director of Power Cables, CWind. “We are pleased the repairs were completed as quickly as possible without causing disruption to the customers on the Islands.”

 

The C.S. Sovereign is a multi-role DPS-2 vessel with experience in both power and fiber optic cable installation and repair.

 

Lloyd continued, “The cable was significantly damaged and there were several technical issues to overcome, but with the help of the WPD staff, we were able to create an innovative solution. Not only did we repair the damaged cable, we also created a shorter, more direct route between the connection points, and re-laid the cable on the sea bed, at a depth of 70 meters. All of this was successfully completed within just a few weeks.”

 

The C.S. Sovereign has now returned to the CWind’s U.K. depot in Portland, Dorset, but will return to the site in the coming weeks to complete further surveys and protection works on the repaired and re-laid cable.