Helix picks up work on Britain’s giant subsea electricity superhighway

Helix Robotics Solutions, the robotics division of U.S.-headquartered Helix Energy Solutions, has landed an unexploded ordnance (UXO) target investigation services assignment for a high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable connection in the UK.

SSEN Transmission picked Helix Robotics to provide UXO target investigation services for the Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) offshore subsea cable project, a joint venture between SSEN Transmission and National Grid. This $5 billion green electricity superhighway is said to be the longest HVDC cable connection ever built in Great Britain. Helix’s contract, which is anticipated to last 125 days, is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2025.

The company expects to utilize the Glomar Wave DP2 subsea support vessel, a work-class remotely operated vehicle, and its in-house explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team to conduct UXO identification along an 80-meter corridor to reduce the risk of UXO being on the cable route to as low as reasonably practicable standards before the start of cable installation. 

Andrew Woollven, EOD Capability Director at Helix Robotics Solutions, commented: “We are proud to be awarded this contract, which highlights our significant UXO and EOD expertise. This project strengthens Helix’s role in offshore site preparation services and underscores our commitment to delivering advanced risk mitigation solutions to the renewable energy sector.”

The UK is making headway in progressing Eastern Green Link 2, with construction works starting in September 2024, as scheduled. The project’s marine survey activities were previously undertaken, with a detailed geophysical survey to identify potential unexploded ordnance.

According to Helix, EGL2 forms a key part of the UK’s effort to deliver on its energy security and net zero targets. The project is expected to enable the installation of a new 2 GW high-voltage direct current subsea and onshore underground cable link from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, to Drax in North Yorkshire, England.

The delivery of this project, alongside other subsea and onshore electricity transmission grid upgrades, is anticipated to boost the capacity of the UK’s transmission network, taking clean energy from where it is generated to where it is needed.

In April 2024, Viking Link, currently seen as the world’s largest interconnector in operation, was officially inaugurated to connect the UK and Denmark. Many green electricity superhighway projects are being pursued, including the $3.2 billion Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1), NeuConnect, Xlinks, and the Celtic Interconnector.

One of the biggest potential projects, which aims to secure more carbon-free power for Europe, is the proposed multibillion-dollar 6 GW North Atlantic Transmission One–Link (NATO-L), which entails an HVDC set of subsea cables across the Atlantic to link North America and Western Europe.