UK: Global Marine Launches Cable Installation Vessel for Offshore Wind Farms

Global Marine Energy Ltd., the largest independent provider of subsea power cable installation, maintenance and related engineering services worldwide, has invested in the refit and development of Cable Enterprise, a barge built specifically for the installation of power cables for offshore wind farms.

Cable Enterprise, which will be officially launched in Middlesbrough in the North East of England, will be used for a range of offshore installation projects, including export cables and interconnect cables. The increase in offshore electricity transmission has triggered a need for vessels which are designed to adapt to the specific requirements of offshore windfarms and their accompanying conditions and challenges.

“Due to the increased demand for offshore power cable installation, the need for purpose built assets and the expertise to operate them is growing,” said Mark Leggett, CEO of Global Marine Energy. “As a result, we are looking to expand our resources and facilities in the UK and we see Cable Enterprise as a major first step in this process. Such investment will further strengthen the UK’s position as a leader in the renewables industry as well as support the further growth of the UK marine industry.”

The Cable Enterprise’s first project will be to lay the export cable for Gwynt y Môr, located off the Welsh coast. Gwynt y Môr is one of the largest offshore wind farms currently in construction, and is being built by RWE npower renewables. When complete, energy generation from Gwynt y Môr is expected to be equivalent to the average annual needs of around 400,000 homes.

“Gwynt y Môr is one of the largest offshore construction projects currently underway in the UK, and we’re delighted that Global Marine Energy’s Cable Enterprise will be used for the first time to help lay the export cables on this prestigious project,” said Richard Sandford, Head of Offshore Business & Asset Management, RWE npower renewables.

“The renewables industry offers significant future potential for growth and diversification for many industries currently locked into traditional industries. As one of the largest developers of renewables in the UK, we’re delighted to be working with Global Marine which is bringing these opportunities to life, and demonstrating what can be achieved within the sector.”

Global Marine has invested £25 million on updating the barge and a further £3 million on new equipment, including a plough capable of burial up to 3 metres making it ideal for deploying a variety of cables, including HVAC and HVDC systems. Cable Enterprise is equipped with a 4,000 tonne carousel, 6 point mooring system and a single drum winch with pulling force of 18 tonnes.

Global Marine Energy Ltd., a British company, has been instrumental in the development of offshore wind over the past decade and as a result is now growing and expanding its presence both in the UK and around the world. Global Marine Systems Ltd. made a conscious decision to diversify several years ago into the energy sector having worked on many of the world’s largest and most high profile offshore projects such as Kentish Flats, Horns Rev & Horns Rev 2.

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Offshore WIND staff, April 19, 2012; Image: globalmarinesystems