NKT Inks Final Contracts for Two HVDC Power Links in Scotland
Danish power cable maker NKT has signed final contracts with SSEN Transmission for two high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission links in Scotland.The contracts cover the 525 kV HVDC power cable systems for the Western Isles and Spittal to Peterhead transmission links, projects that form part of SSEN Transmission’s Pathway to 2030 investment program to upgrade the electricity grid in northern Scotland.NKT said the turnkey scope includes design, production and installation of both onshore and offshore cable systems, with the projects now included in its high-voltage order backlog.The
Subsea Cable Risk a Mix of Bathymetry and Geopolitics
A new study undertaken by a group of researchers from the UAE, Canada, Japan, and Taiwan collates a range of statistics and expert opinion to address an urgent puzzle: Where and under what conditions do states prioritize cable security?The researchers focused on three contrasting cable systems: Unity/EAC Pacific (Japan–U.S.), Asia-America Gateway (Guam–Hawaii), and Tata TGNTata Indicom (India–Singapore).The risk to such cables varies predictably with geopolitical tension, peaking during ambiguous periods between peace and overt conflict. During these times, adversaries exploit
Google to Build Subsea Cables for PNG
Papua New Guinea’s Acting Minister for Information and Communications Technology, Hon. Peter Tsiamalili Jr., has officially announced the $120 million Pukpuk Connectivity Initiative that will deliver three new submarine cable systems to Papua New Guinea, strengthening the nation’s digital backbone with high-capacity connectivity to Northern Papua New Guinea, Southern Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.The project is being entirely funded through Australia’s commitments under the Pukpuk Treaty, a mutual defence treaty which recognises that an armed attack on
Makai Ocean Engineering Launches New Training Simulator for Submarine Cable Installations
hands-on experience with offshore cable installation workflows in a controlled, office-based environment.As the global demand for subsea infrastructure accelerates, driven by expanding internet connectivity, offshore renewable energy, and defense requirements, there is growing pressure to deploy cable systems faster, more reliably, and with a limited pool of experienced personnel, many of whom are already engaged on other projects. Traditional onboard training is expensive, time-limited, and increasingly impractical. The Makai Simulator addresses this gap by providing a realistic, flexible, and cost-effect
Red Sea Cable Cuts Emphasize Infrastructure Resilience
to AP News, multiple undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea have disrupted internet access across Yemen, the Gulf, and as far as India and Pakistan. Microsoft confirmed connectivity degradation, while NetBlocks and national operators in Kuwait and Pakistan reported outages affecting major international cable systems.The cause of the incident remains unclear. Experts note that ship anchors, natural hazards, or deliberate attacks can sever subsea cables. The Red Sea disruption comes amid heightened regional tensions and follows warnings from governments that subsea infrastructure could be targeted.“The
NKT to Deliver Cables for Bornholm Energy Island Interconnection
Energinet to deliver a HVDC power cable system for the offshore interconnector linking the Bornholm Energy Island to the power grid on Zealand.Energinet, the Danish transmission system operator (TSO), has selected NKT to provide the 525 kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) on- and offshore power cable systems for the Danish connection to the Bornholm Energy Island.The contract has a value of around $757 million (€650 million) and comprises design, manufacturing, and installation of a power cable system comprising 200 km offshore route and 16.8 km onshore route.Offshore installation is planned
Pioneer Consulting Completes Submarine Cable Marine Route Surveys in Alaska
Pioneer Consulting, a full-service submarine fiber optic telecommunications consulting and project management company, announced the completion of the marine route surveys for the “Fiber Internet Serving Homes” projects, which consist of the FISH West and FISH South submarine cable systems in Alaska. Contracted by Cordova Telecom Cooperative, Inc., a member-owned telecommunications cooperative, the survey was completed in cooperation with Benthic GeoScience.Pioneer Consulting supervised the survey and provided a representative on board the main survey vessel. Survey activities
US Lawmakers Tech CEOs to Address Security Concerns About Subsea Cables
;subsea cables that handle 99% of international internet traffic and about threats from China and Russia.The letter raised concerns that entities affiliated with China "such as SBSS, Huawei Marine, China Telecom, and China Unicom, have continued to provide maintenance or servicing to cable systems in which your companies maintain direct or indirect operational involvement or ownership." The letter was signed by Representative John Moolenaar, who chairs a House panel on China, and also by Republican representatives Carlos Gimenez and Keith Self, who chair subcommittees.The Chinese
JDR to Test Cables on Middle Eastern Offshore Platforms for L&T
JDR Cable Systems (JDR), part of the TFKable Group, has secured a contract from Larsen & Toubro (L&T), an Indian multinational engaged in EPC projects, to assist with offshore umbilical testing in the Middle East.The work will see JDR test 14 umbilical cables for offshore platforms in the Middle East, covering two major work scopes across multiple offshore platforms.This includes the testing and monitoring of critical hydraulic and electrical control systems to support operations across the platforms.JDR’s scope of work includes pre-deployment testing, monitoring during lay operations
February 2026
