DEME’s cable installation vessel Living Stone has completed the installation of subsea export cable for Elia’s Modular Offshore Grid.
The 85-kilometer cable connects Elia’s offshore switch yard to the shore station Stevin at Zeebrugge, as well as the Rentel wind farm offshore substation.
Living Stone collected the cable at the manufacturer Hellenic Cable in Greece , transported it to the site in Belgium and performed the cable installation, offshore jointing and four pull-ins.
With the dual-lane cable installation system consisting of two cable highways on board of Living Stone, works have been completed in record time and well ahead of schedule.
“This is again a very successful job executed by the Living Stone. It was great to see all plans worked out without any set back,” says Marco Kanaar , project director at DEME Offshore. “Usually with a new, complex vessel such as the Living Stone you might expect some teething problems, however it was great to see that our crew had already ironed out any potential issues beforehand. Definitely the great team spirit between our marine crew and project team and certainly the constructive approach from our client Elia have been instrumental to the success.”
Tom Pietercil , project director at Elia: “The project has been completed in record time: the first agreements were made with the authorities in March 2016, and the MOG will be operational this September. This is the result of good cooperation between all partners in the project.”
“It is a great pleasure to confirm the safe and fast completion of another project ahead of schedule,” says Hugo Bouvy , managing director of DEME Offshore. “The offshore crew of the Living Stone as well as our dedicated project team have provided high quality services and workmanship. This significant achievement once again demonstrates DEME Offshore’s expertise in engineering and execution of cable lay projects. It definitely marks our continued growth in what DEME Offshore recognises as a crucial market for the world’s future energy needs.”
The Belgian Modular Offshore Grid submarine power cable project was awarded in August 2017. DEME also deployed the newest trailing suction hopper dredger Bonny River on the project to backfill 45 km of trenches.