Aquatera, Jee Finish 1st Phase of Tidal Cable Laying Project

Stromness-based energy and environmental consultancy Aquatera Ltd  and Jee Ltd have carried out the deployment and recovery of Jee’s U-tube cabling protection structure in Orkney, thus completing the first phase of a project to investigate cost-effective methods of cable laying for tidal energy arrays.

Funded by Scottish Enterprise, the £2.4m Tidal Array Cabling Solution project was launched in December 2013 to develop and demonstrate effective methods of locating, securing, protecting and retrieving cables for tidal energy arrays.

Aquatera Ltd was one of a number of companies that took part in the initial concept development stage of the project in 2014, subsequently being awarded a contract to undertake two demonstration projects. The first of these, completed in partnership with subsea engineering and training firm, Jee Ltd, involved the construction and deployment of Jee’s U-tube cabling protection structure.

The Aquatera role involved lifting, moving, positioning and recovering the 50m long Jee cable protection system – thought to be the largest single dimensioned structure yet lifted, moved and placed for the wave and tidal sector. Tests of this array cabling solution were carried out at the European Marine Energy Centre’s Shapinsay Sound tidal test site.

Aquatera’s Daniel Wise, who managed the operation, said the project partners were delighted with the outcome of the first phase of tests.

“Cable laying in other energy sectors and industries has traditionally been carried out by large and expensive offshore dynamic positioning (DP) vessels,” said Wise.

“However, the budgetary constraints within renewables require innovative thinking and more cost effective solutions, hence our decision to use Green Marine’s locally based heavy lift gantry barge and MultiCats.

“The installation, operation and recovery of the Jee Ltd cable protection structure was a unique, interesting and challenging marine operation, one which required meticulous planning and execution, but the barge and other vessels proved to be the ideal solution, with the operation running very smoothly.

“Once again, the experienced Orkney supply chain has proven that it is more than capable of rising to the challenges presented by complicated bespoke marine renewable operations. The input of local companies, who have a long track record in providing support to the renewables industry in some of the harshest waters in the world, was central to the success of the operation.”

Mr Wise said the second project to test a range of different cable laying configurations would be completed later this year.

Neil Ferguson, senior executive, Energy and Low Carbon Technologies, Scottish Enterprise, said: “We look forward to the rest of the project being completed in the near future and bringing the results to the industry.”

In the coming months Jee Ltd, alongside Aquatera, will be presenting the results of the trial demonstrations to Scottish Enterprise and their steering group members, along with other interested organisations from the renewables sector.