[Update – the information in this notice has been superseded by more recent notices. The notice remains as part of the historical record of notices issued for this project. Please refer to the most recent notice for an up-to-date record of the notices presently in place for this project. This can be accessed via the project description page here.]
Mariners are advised that the cable laying vessel Giulio Verne is due to continue with cable installation work in the Firth of Clyde along the Western HVDC Link cable route before moving south to carry out installation work in the Irish Sea. This update provides a brief summary of the detail included in the latest Notice to Mariners, which can be downloaded here.
Deep Water Cable Installation Update
The cable laying vessel Giulio Verne is due to complete cable installation work in the Firth of Clyde and then commence cable laying work between the sections of cable already installed in the Irish Sea. The work detailed in the Notice to Mariners is briefly summarised below.
Firth of Clyde: Campaign 4b
The Giulio Verne is expected to arrive on site on the 31st March 2017 to commence jointing operations at KP5. The vessel will then surface lay the cable to KP58 (near Ailsa Craig) where it will be jointed with the previously laid Campaign 6.
The cable will be buried by post-lay jetting along the route by the vessel Normand Pacific which is expected to be on site in April.
Details of the cable route and burial methodology are provided in the Notice to Mariners which can be downloaded here.
Irish Sea: Campaign 5a
After completing the cable laying work in the Firth of Clyde, the Giulio Verne is due to proceed to KP233 (approximately 18.5km south-west of the Calf of Man) where it will commence jointing the cable for Campaign 5a to the previously installed Campaign 2 cable. Giulio Verne will proceed in a northerly direction along the cable route to KP176 (approximately 16km east of Millen Bay, NI).
The cable will be buried by post-lay jetting along the route by the vessel Normand Pacific once she has completed works in the Firth of Clyde.
Details of the cable route and burial methodology are provided in the Notice to Mariners which can be downloaded here.
Vessel details
Details of the vessels involved in these operations, along with their present location can be found on MarineTraffic.com via the links below:-
- Giulio Verne: Cable layer | Call sign IBPU
- Normand Pacific: Multi Purpose Offshore Vessel | Call sign LAXI7
Vessels will be monitoring VHF Channel 16 throughout the operations.
The vessels involved in this work will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre and other vessels are reminded to pass at a safe speed and distance. Fishing vessels are advised to remain a safe distance (approximately 1.5 nautical miles) from the free laid sections and the crossing sections. Deployed Guard Vessels will monitor the exposed areas and advise of safe distances locally.
Exposed cable locations
There are several sections of exposed cable along the cable route at locations where cable burial or protection has not been possible and at some remaining planned cable crossing locations. These sections are currently being monitored by Guard Vessels which have been deployed locally.
To assist all mariners, a consolidated list of exposed cable locations (as of 15th March 2017) has been compiled. This list is included in the notice to mariners that can be downloaded here.
Guard vessels
Guard vessels have been stationed along the cable route during installation and burial to ensure the safety of marine users. They will remain in position until cable protection operations are completed to advise mariners of the location of exposed cable.
In areas where the cable crosses other cables and pipelines that are in service, the guard vessels will remain on station until cable protection has been completed in these locations (either through concrete mattressing or rock placement).
Vessels are requested to pass at a safe speed and distance and fishing vessels are advised to remain a safe distance (approximately 1.5 nautical miles) from the areas identified. Guard Vessels have been deployed at each location to aid in monitoring the exposed areas and advise of safe distances locally.
The locations of Guard Vessel areas and exposed sections are shown in Tables 1 & 2 of the Notice to Mariners which can be downloaded here.
Notices to Mariners
The Notices to Mariners that are presently in place for this project are:-
- Western HVDC Link: Cable Installation Campaigns 4b (Firth of Clyde) and 5a (Irish Sea) – this is the notice described above. It was issued on 29th March 2017 and provides an update on proposed cable installation work in the Firth of Clyde and the Irish Sea. It can be downloaded here.
- Post Lay Installation Rock Placement Works Ardneil Bay – this notice was issued on 24th March 2017 and provides information on rock placement work due to be carried out in Ardneil Bay in March-April 2017. The notice can be downloaded here.
- Exposed cable locations: Update, Irish Sea North Channel, Firth of Clyde – this notice was issued on 16th March 2017 and provides an update on exposed cable locations in these areas. The notice can be downloaded here.
- Debris – this notice was issued on the 15th March 2017. It informs mariners of the location of some debris that was found during the Pre Lay Grapnel Run along the cable route to the south of the Isle of Man. The notice can be downloaded here.
- Survey works of cable installation in Liverpool Bay, Irish Sea, North Channel and Firth of Clyde – this notice was issued on 1st March 2017. It provides an update on survey work that is due to be conducted along the installed cable route. The notice can be downloaded here.
- Post Lay Rock Placement Works – this notice was issued on 1st February 2017 (and updated on 10th February 2017) and provides information about rock protection work for Campaigns 3 & 6 of the cable route which will be carried out between February and March 2017. The notice can be downloaded here .
- Post Lay Installation Burial Works – this notice was issued on 1st February 2017 and provides information about the cable burial work for Campaign 4 of the cable route which will start in early February 2017. The notice can be downloaded here.
- Concrete mattressing – along the cable route concrete mattresses have been laid at crossings of existing cables and pipelines. A notice to mariners about the mattressing campaign conducted in 2015 can be downloaded here.
Earlier notices are all rescinded.