DeepOcean: 560km Scotland trench is biggest trenching contract

DeepOcean will trench a massive 560km of high-voltage cable as part of the “significant” contract on the Western HVDC Link project

A subsea specialist company has been awarded its largest trenching contract.

Darlington-based DeepOcean will trench a massive 560km of high-voltage cable as part of the “significant” contract on the Western HVDC Link project, for client Prysmian Group.

It comes just days after the company, which employs around 250 people from its Darlington office, chartered a new vessel to boost its move into the growing sea interconnector market.

The Western Link is a £1bn construction project being delivered through a joint venture between National Grid and ScottishPower Transmission.

A new high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable will run more than 400km, mostly under the sea, to bring renewable energy from Scotland to homes and businesses in England and Wales.

DeepOcean’s scope of work ranges from a pre-lay survey to the trenching operation in water depths of up to 165 metres.

The company will use its PCP2 power cable plough, deployed from its Go Pegasus vessel, to trench around 425km of cable. Jet trenching of around 135km of cable will be performed from one of DeepOcean’s permanently mobilised trenching support vessels.

Offshore works will start in the second half of this year, with campaigns continuing into 2015 and 2016.

Tony Inglis, right, DeepOcean UK’s managing director, said: “We are delighted.

“This award highlights our position as a leading contractor of trenching services for long length cable projects.

“Our large portfolio of advanced trenching assets was a key enabler to win this work, with both cable ploughing and jet trenching being performed.

“This project also secures backlog growth for DeepOcean and demonstrates the trust that customers place in us, to perform complex multi-year projects.”

Last week the company entered into a seven-year charter agreement with Maersk Supply Services for a next-generation cable lay vessel.

The charter is expected to boost DeepOcean’s move into the market for major sea interconnectors, extra-large cables that connect entire countries, alongside its oil and gas work.