Fugro has completed a contract for Nexans to provide remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey and monitoring support services to lay the North Sea Link cable through a mountain and along a lakebed in Norway.
National Grid NSN Link Ltd and Statnett SF are building an electricity interconnector between Kvilldal in Norway and Blyth in the UK which, on completion, will be the longest subsea interconnector in the world. Fugro’s innovative survey and monitoring solutions supported the installation of two cables through the mountain between Hylsfjorden and Lake Suldalsvatnet, and along the lakebed at a depth of 210 m.
Fugro’s InclinoCam and FCV1000 work class ROV supporting Nexans’ cable installation onsite at Lake Suldalsvatnet in Norway
Working closely with their client Nexans, the project took 12 months of careful planning and preparation before Fugro provided 1 month of remote and crewed services to support installation of the two power cables. The cable work platform (CWP), purpose built onsite, was mobilised with an FCV1000 work class ROV to perform touchdown monitoring during cable installation. During the cable lay, the cable’s departure angle was monitored in near real time using Fugro’s vision-based InclinoCam system, which does not require sensor packages to be fitted onto the monitored asset, making it quicker and safer than conventional monitoring systems.
Due to limited space for personnel onboard the CWP, the acquired survey Geo-data were streamed in real time to Fugro’s remote operations centre (ROC) in Aberdeen for real-time monitoring and project support, including near-real-time processing, and also to Nexans in Oslo. This remote strategy approach ensured operational continuity and allowed the client to monitor their project with minimal personnel onsite.
Einar Betten, Nexans’ Project Manager, commented: “Fugro performed excellent work during the challenging times of Covid-19 and in a complex technical environment.”
Alastair McKie, Fugro’s Director for Positioning and Construction Support in Europe, added: “We are delighted to have worked with Nexans to help deliver this project. Our team’s extensive planning was time well invested, which kept our client on target and achieved a positive result.”
About Fugro
Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Adopting an integrated approach that incorporates acquisition and analysis of Geo-data and related advice, Fugro provides solutions. With expertise in site characterisation and asset integrity, clients are supported in the safe, sustainable and efficient design, construction and operation of their assets throughout the full lifecycle.
Employing approximately 9,500 talented people in 61 countries, Fugro serves clients around the globe, predominantly in the energy and infrastructure industries, both offshore and onshore. In 2019, revenue amounted to EUR 1.6 billion. The company is listed on Euronext Amsterdam.