NKT Wraps Up UK-Ireland Interconnector Remediation Ops

Danish subsea cable and services firm NKT has completed inspection survey and remediation work on the East West HVDC interconnector that links Ireland and Great Britain.

The specialized inspection and remediation work allows the owner, EirGrid Interconnector Designated Activity Company (EIDAC), a subsidiary of the EirGrid Group, to ensure that the cable is brought back to optimal conditions.

EIDAC hired NKT to inspect the East West HVDC interconnector to optimize performance and enhance longevity of the infrastructure.

The survey conducted by NKT including characterization of seabed conditions along the cable led to concrete mattresses and rock bags being placed under exposed sections of the East West interconnector.

“We are pleased to announce that both the inspection survey and remediation work following the survey are now successfully completed.

“The inspection survey led to remediation work being done for EIDAC, using our vessel NKT Victoria. EIDAC is a long-standing partner to NKT, and the long-term service agreement is a testament to the strong collaboration between our companies to jointly optimize performance of their interconnector,” said Axel Barnekow Widmark, Executive Vice President, Service at NKT.

As offshore assets are placed in harsh environments, subsea cables are continuously subjected to extreme conditions.

This exposes them to different kinds of surface or subsurface objects around the cable. Anchoring or fishing gear may also strike exposed sections of the cable or mechanical faults may happen in areas where the seabed is uneven.

With regular inspection, emerging changes to the cable’s environment can be identified and potential cable failures can be prevented contributing to improving the operational performance of the cable.