N-Sea picks UK firm to provide ‘world’s first DNV-approved’ cable repair equipment

The Netherlands-headquartered subsea solutions provider N-Sea has handed out a contract to Osbit, a UK-headquartered offshore wind equipment specialist and a Venterra Group company, for the delivery of a suite of equipment to enable the repair and lay of offshore cables.

According to Osbit, this equipment consists of a novel dual concentric carousel, a tower with loading arms, and an ergonomic power and control cabin. The carousel, which the company says will be “the world’s first DNV-approved” dual concentric modular system for cable repair, can process two cables simultaneously in a split basket arrangement.

The offshore wind equipment specialist explains that these two partitions can be controlled independently to rotate at different speeds ensuring bundled products are laid at the same linear speed, or joined as a larger single basket, to repair or lay AC export cables and inter-array AC cables.

Dale Mcdonald, Operations Manager, Subsea Cables at N-Sea, commented: “We are very pleased to be working with Osbit on this important and innovative equipment. The equipment further demonstrates N-Sea’s commitment in providing a robust and quality service for subsea cable repairs and installation.”

Furthermore, the tower and loading arm system is expected to feed products in and out of the inner and outer partitions while the compact design will minimize the deck footprint to accommodate varying vessel configurations and layouts. This is equipped with platforms, ladders, and railings to offer safe and structured personnel access for installation, inspection, and maintenance. The system will be engineered, built, and installed in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, by a team of the company’s engineers while the delivery is scheduled for early 2Q 2024.

Jurgen Zijlmans, General Manager of Osbit in the Netherlands, remarked: “We’re extremely proud and thrilled to have landed this design and build contract from N-Sea, and very satisfied to have achieved this within six months of Osbit’s Netherlands entity becoming operational. This system will lead the way in cable repairs, paving the way toward a more renewable and sustainable future for us all.

“We’re delighted that the N-Sea team trusts in our vast cable installation experience to deliver such a milestone project and we’re working very closely to channel their operational knowledge into the equipment design. We’re excited to deliver the completed system in Rotterdam next year, as Osbit continues to significantly expand our local support in the Netherlands.”

Osbit underlines that the carousel and loading arm will be controlled and monitored from an operator cabin, developed by its in-house control and software engineers, and optimized to suit differing vessels by maximizing operational visibility and incorporating monitors to display multiple camera feeds. In addition, the control system can operate other equipment, such as tensioners and deck winches while a wireless control unit will enable the operator to control the equipment from the vessel’s back deck, where required.

“The system is designed with flexibility in mind, to support multiple cable specifications. Given the need for repeated and rapid deployment, the system is robust and can be easily mobilized and demobilized on various vessels of opportunity. This latest innovation forms part of a wider ‘build phase’ offering within Venterra Group, a strategic partner to wind energy developers and tier one contractors, providing services across the lifecycle of offshore wind assets,” explained Osbit.

This announcement is made on the first day of Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference (OEEC 2023) in Amsterdam, where companies have gathered for two full days of discussions, insights, and updates on the ins and outs of the energy and maritime industries.

Meanwhile, N-Sea has been very busy this year. Earlier this month, the company extended its long-term charter agreement with Braveheart Marine for a 73.2-meter-long and 16.5-meter-wide DP2 survey vessel. A few days before this, the firm fortified its fleet and subsea activities with a 2012-built offshore support vessel, thanks to an agreement with Rederij Groen. The company has also managed to secure several contracts this year.

Following the conversion of the 7-Waves seismic support vessel into a survey vessel, which was done in collaboration with Rederij Groen, N-Sea began survey activities in August 2023 to support the development of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) project.

Prior to this, the company got a new deal with ONE-Dyas in April 2023 to install a subsea power cable between the Riffgat offshore wind farm in the German North Sea and the new N05-A gas production platform.