Jan De Nul takes delivery of high-powered subsea trencher

Jan De Nul has taken delivery of the new high-powered subsea trenching vehicle Swordfish from UK offshore equipment supplier Osbit.

Swordfish is a purpose-built cable burial tool for the protection of subsea cables that will be used on current and future offshore wind projects.

Osbit engineers completed the detailed design, manufacture, assembly, and test of Swordfish in one year.

The machine was delivered out of the company’s assembly base at the Port of Blyth in Northumberland and then shipped to Belgium for mobilization and installation.

Jan de Nul and Osbit signed an agreement for the design and construction of the subsea trencher in April last year.

“We are pleased to offer the industry the best solution for their cable projects. A problem the industry is currently facing is that all the easy sites for wind farm installation are filled, and now installation companies require specialist equipment like Swordfish to tackle more challenging soil conditions, in an economical and efficient manner,” said Neil Harrison, director at Osbit.

Swordfish is powered by 1,200 kW of subsea electrical power, using a combination of direct drive and hydraulic distribution.

The vehicle can be reconfigured into either jetting (high-powered water fluidisation of the seabed) or mechanical chain-cutting modes.

According to Osbit, in jetting configuration, versatile jetting tools and highly controllable water power allow high progress rates through sands and weak clays, while in cutting configuration, high hydraulic drive power is supplemented by water injection to facilitate spoil transport to the high-powered eduction system, all working together to achieve consistent progress through challenging soils.

“Thanks to its high power, Swordfish can bury the cables deeper and at higher progress rates. And thanks to its innovative mechanical chain cutting configuration Swordfish can also tackle more challenging soil conditions, including hard clays up to 400 kPa,” said Jan Van De Velde, manager Newbuilding Department at Jan De Nul.

“The delivery of the Swordfish complements our cable installation vessels Connector and Isaac Newton, arming Jan De Nul Group for the energy transition of tomorrow.”

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