Offshore cable ops resume at Ireland-Wales interconnector after a break

Following a pause due to poor weather and vessel maintenance, offshore cable operations have resumed at the Greenlink interconnector that will link Ireland and Wales.

Cable burial and trenching activities are ongoing along the interconnector route by the 127-meter-long DP2 offshore support vessel Grand Canyon III, following the offshore cable installation with the cable lay vessel (CLV) Connector.

In parallel with the final cable burial activities, subsea rock installation operation activities will take place between May 26 and July 15, subject to weather and operational constraints.

The work will be carried out along the planned interconnector route between the landfall location near Freshwater West, Pembroke, Wales, and the landfall location near Baginbun Beach, Co. Wexford, Ireland, by subsea rock installation vessel Simon Stevin.

Cable burial or trenching activities, performed by Helix Robotics Solution on behalf of Jan De Nul, were paused in January due to poor weather and a requirement for maintenance and upgrades on the Grand Canyon III.

System testing for the Greenlink interconnector is set to begin in the summer of 2024 and commissioning is expected by the end of the year.