UK firm’s cable protection solution enhances US-Canada renewable underwater energy link

December 2, 2024, by Melisa Cavcic

UK-headquartered CRP Subsea, part of AIS, has been picked to provide a protection solution for two high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables and a fiber optic cable (FOC) destined for an underwater green electricity project between the U.S. and Canada.

While CRP Subsea has not revealed the exact value of its contract with an undisclosed cable manufacturer for the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) project in the United States, the firm did describe the deal as a sizable one, which enabled it to supply Transmission Developers Inc. (TDI) with a suitable cable protection solution over a 900-meter section of the transmission line as it traverses the Champlain lakebed.

The UK firm, which designed a custom Uraduct bundled solution for the project’s HVDC and fiber optic cables, highlights that its solution uses super duplex banding to secure the sections. A bend test, conducted to address the unique requirement of achieving a four-meter bending radius in a 90-degree arc, is said to have demonstrated the solution’s ability to perform under challenging conditions.

Ben Stubbens, Head of Sales at CRP Subsea, commented: “We are thrilled that our industry-leading Uraduct has been chosen to protect a section of the CHPE transmission line in the Lake Champlain marine installation. This collaboration reflects the trust our customers place in our ability to deliver high-quality, tailored cable protection solutions. We are proud to contribute to this innovative renewable energy project and look forward to future partnerships.”

Engineered to provide comprehensive protection for fiber optic cables, power cables, umbilicals, flowlines, hoses, and bundled products, the Uraduct solution, which was manufactured at CRP Subsea’s production facility in the North West of England, was delivered earlier in 2024 and recently installed. According to the firm, pneumatic tooling was provided to facilitate efficient installation from the cable-laying vessel.

Moreover, the bundled Uraduct design is perceived to ensure impact and abrasion resistance while also offering drop object protection (DOP), safeguarding the cables from potential impacts. Alongside impact and abrasion resistance, the solution can add ballast or buoyancy to cables and flowlines.

After the CHPE project broke ground on the transmission line in November 2022 in Whitehall, and on the Astoria converter site in September 2023, the HVDC cable run was installed underground in January 2024. Upon the arrival of the Atalanti cable laying vessel (CLV) from Sweden to New York, the ship embarked on an assignment that Asso.subsea inked with NKT for the transportation, installation, and burial of the cable system along a portion of the Hudson River.

The CHPE project, seen as the largest clean energy project ever constructed in New York State and the largest fully buried transmission line in North America, spans approximately 339 miles. The HVDC cables will run underground and underwater from the United States-Canada border at Lake Champlain to a converter station in Astoria, Queens.

Afterward, the HVDC power will be converted to AC for integration into New York City’s energy grid, supporting local energy distribution to power 1 million homes with green electricity. While Hitachi Energy is tasked with delivering the HVDC converter station with Light technology, the site’s lead contractor is Kiewit Corporation.