Briggs Marine has completed subsea cable installation work as principal contractor to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution, for projects on Scottish islands including Orkney. With the existing connecting cables nearing the end of their operational lifespan, the vital work improves reliability, resilience and safety of the electricity network for customers in the island communities of Arran, Orkney, Hoy and the Isle of Coll.
The works included the installation of four separate cable crossings, including an 11kv replacement cable between Langamull beach on Mull and Sorisdale on the Isle of Coll. A second 33kv cable was installed between Carradale and Arran with a further two 33kv cables crossing between Hoy and Orkney. Working closely with the subsea cable team at SSEN Distribution, Briggs Marine mobilised and successfully completed the four separate cable installations and eight shore ends within four months. Contracted to fully project-manage and install 15.6 km of new cable between Mull and Coll as well as 6.6 km from Carradale to Arran, the first phase of works required seabed preparation, including pre-lay boulder clearance, pre-lay grapnel runs (PLGR), potential unexploded ordnance (pUXO) investigations and route engineering. From its own fleet of vessels, Briggs Marine mobilised the Kingdom of Fife with a PLGR spread to undertake route clearance operations. The Forth Jouster was also mobilised as the dive support vessel (DSV).
Credits: renews.biz [Image: SSEN Distribution]