Tekmar Demonstrates Its Cable Innovations at Narec

Subsea specialist Tekmar Energy is holding a series of live events to demonstrate its industry-leading cable protection systems (CPS), installation techniques and engineering developments. 

The demonstration days are taking place at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult’s (ORE Catapult) National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth, Northumberland, where the company is showcasing its TekTube® J-tube replacement system as well as CPS pre-installation methods and best practices, and submarine power cable heat transfer.

Tekmar, which provides bespoke cable protection systems to both the global oil & gas and offshore renewables industries, organised the event following the success of a series of demonstration days held earlier in the year.

Chief executive officer, James Ritchie, said: “The demo days provide an opportunity to learn more about the installation of Tekmar’s multiple TekLink and TekTube cable protection systems utilising a dry and wet dock facility.

“ORE Catapult’s Blyth facility offers the use of multiple dry and wet docks allowing Tekmar to perform a number of demonstrations on our suite of innovations and demonstrate how they’re making a key industry contribution to cost reduction and risk mitigation.”

Richard Morris, commercial director at ORE Catapult, said: “Our dry dock facilities are used for a variety of marine and subsea applications, such as prototype development and equipment trials, as well as verification and witness tests. Supporting small businesses to address industry-wide challenges by devising innovative solutions is a key objective of the ORE Catapult therefore it is particularly pleasing for us to be able to work with and support Tekmar in demonstrating their new technology.

“Innovative, technological improvements such as Tekmar’s cable protection systems is an important step in the drive to lengthen the life of connections between offshore wind turbines as well as that of wind farms and onshore connections. As such, it could lead to a step-change in electrical cable technology, which will drive cost reduction in the industry.”

Tekmar has a market-leading track record in delivering bespoke cable protection systems. The company has been involved in more than 27 high profile offshore wind projects and supplied over 3,000 systems since its entry into the market while also expanding its global footprint across the oil and gas sector through its pioneering SURF solutions.

Industry body Subsea UK, which represents 280 members in the British subsea supply chain both at home and overseas, said companies like Tekmar are performing a pivotal role in ensuring the sector’s world-leading industry position.

Neil Gordon, chief executive at Subsea UK, said: “It is highly encouraging to see a North East-based subsea firm engaging effectively with its market by demonstrating its innovative technology. Tekmar is an excellent example of the strong manufacturing heritage that makes the North East a key part of the UK subsea success story.

“The British subsea industry is worth £8.9billion and the North East strong generates in excess of £1billion of that. Thanks to members like Tekmar investing in technology, we will be able to retain our position as the world-leader.”

As part of the demonstration days, IHC Engineering Business (IHC EB), part of Royal IHC, based in The Netherlands, was invited to showcase its pioneering Hi-Traq trencher which was launched last month (June). Hi-Traq is the world’s first Remotely Operated Subsea Vehicle specifically designed for the application of inter-array cable burial in offshore wind farms.

Tekmar, which is headquartered in the North-East of England at County Durham, has developed its proprietary technologies at its state-of-the-art research and development (R&D) and manufacturing hub to meet the needs of the evolving market.

The company’s TekTube cable protection system is an onshore installed solution which reduces the time and complexity offshore. As a result, it reduces installation time and costs, and minimises associated cable risks onshore.

TekTube has been developed utilising the same protection methodology as the market-leading, proven industry standard TekLink system. The TekLink system, which was developed by Tekmar in 2008, revolutionises the connection and 30-year protection of subsea power cables into monopile foundations. TekTube offers an alternative to TekLink for jacket, gravity-base and floating foundations.