SPSL Develops Pipeline and Cable Crossing for Tampnet

Scour Prevention Systems (SPSL) has successfully delivered its first commercial project in the offshore oil and gas industry, providing an innovative scour solution to pipeline and cable crossings in the North Sea.

Lowestoft-based SPSL has developed an innovative and patented solution, using a matrix of end-of-life vehicle tyres, to remediate and eliminate scour around offshore structures and over cables and pipes.

The newly developed Cable Crossing Units (CCU) were developed to support the extension of Tampnet’s offshore fibre optic network, these have been added to SPSL’s Scour Prevention Mats (SPM) product line up.

Tim Smith, Business Development Manager at SPSL, said: “Working with Tampnet has been an exciting opportunity. Together we developed a new and innovative pipeline and cable crossing unit by layering our innovative scour prevention technology to form a ramp either side of the pipeline allowing safe cable installation, with a traditional scour prevention mat laid over top for enhanced protection.”

“This novel approach protects the cable from any unnecessary ‘free-spanning’ of the cable left suspended in open water presenting significant risk of damage due to commercial fishing activities.”

In addition to the newly developed Cable Crossing Units, conventional Scour Prevention Mats were also installed to provide scour protection to the cable in scour-prone areas.

Rolf Bøe, Project Manager at Tampnet,, said: “The team at Scour Prevention Systems were great to work with, being more than willing to spend time looking at a new process, and managing to design and construct the units exactly as we had envisioned them. We look forward to working together with the SPSL team in the future.”

More than 3,300 recycled car tyres were supplied by Brightlingsea-based Eastern Waste Disposal. Installation of the innovative SPSL mats and crossing units was undertaken using the CS Sovereign vessel and the Atlas ROV.

John Balch, Chairman of SPSL, said: “This is our first commercial project in the offshore oil and gas industry, and we’re delighted to be working with partners such as Global Marine and Tampnet who have embraced our innovative approach. The results demonstrate the ease of installation using ROVs, and the advantages of using recycled car tyres as an effective way to protect pipelines/cables for cables crossing over offshore pipelines.”