Subsea engineering specialist SMD has delivered a heavy-duty power cable plough designed to install and protect high-capacity submarine power cables supporting offshore wind and grid interconnection projects.
The plough, the first of two systems ordered by Prysmian, will be deployed aboard the company’s new cable-laying vessels Prysmian Alessandro Volta and Prysmian Mona Lisa, with a second unit due for delivery later this year.
Designed for increasingly complex offshore transmission projects, the plough is capable of burying conventional multi-core power cables, bundled two-pole power cables and quad-bundle cable configurations to depths of up to 5m below the mean seabed level.
A key innovation is its ability to handle quad-bundle cables through twin carousels, across the vessel’s back deck, over the stern and into the plough before installation within the trench, providing an integrated cable handling and burial solution.
The equipment combines Prysmian’s expertise in submarine cable installation with SMD’s cable handling and plough technology to support the deployment of higher-capacity offshore transmission systems.
Paul Davison, deputy chief executive of SMD, said: “This partnership in innovation demonstrates to grid operators that the next generation of power cables can be designed, built, installed and protected with the highest level of assurance.
“This technology is ready to support 2GW offshore grid connections that are crucial for linking energy generation to security of supply.”
Davison said the quad-bundle systems would provide grid connections between next-generation offshore wind farms and industrial centres across Europe while reducing the need for new onshore transmission corridors.
The latest delivery represents Prysmian’s fourth and fifth cable ploughs supplied by SMD. Alongside SMD’s jetting and hard-ground trenching systems already in Prysmian’s fleet, the company now has a full range of seabed burial equipment capable of tackling varying cable types and seabed conditions.
Peter Watson, UK Marine Base and VOO Manager responsible for Prysmian’s subsea assets, said: “This innovative machine combines Prysmian’s extensive operational expertise with SMD know-how to tackle the most demanding submarine projects.”
Prysmian said the new ploughs will strengthen its offshore installation capability as demand grows for high-capacity export and interconnector cables driven by the expansion of offshore renewable energy and electricity transmission infrastructure.
