SEKIKAIJI Purchases SMD Trenching Equipment for Japanese Offshore Wind Market

Japan-based submarine cable installation specialist, SEKIKAIJI Industry, has expanded its capabilities with the purchase of new trenching equipment from subsea technology and services provider, SMD.

Set to be delivered in spring 2026, the contract includes SMD’s high-power jet trencher with a dedicated high sea state launch and recovery system (LARS) and SMD Artemis, a pioneering cable and pipeline tracker.

“SEKIKAIJI has again put their trust in SMD equipment to expand its cable trenching capability, ready for offshore wind. The new vehicle system and Artemis cable tracker; one of our key innovations for cable burial assurance, both align perfectly with the demands of Japan’s emerging offshore wind market," explained Matthew Woodward, business development manager at SMD.

“Our latest generation high-power jet trencher is a powerful and versatile vehicle capable of delivering genuine 3m product burial for maximum cable protection. Operating across Japan’s varied seabed conditions, it offers faster burial speeds and is compatible with power cable, including bundles and pipelines."

He added, “SMD Artemis has an unrivalled detection range unlike any other on the market. Using electromagnetic field technology, it accurately locates cables during the construction phase of a windfarm, where there is no existing power or injected tone. Artemis enables cable detection during multipass burial, proving confidence in burial depth beyond existing technologies. Furthermore, it provides greater positional accuracy for post-burial surveys, or when trying to locate dead or inactive cables and pipelines.”