CWind Cable Ship Sovereign Completes Scilly Power Cable Repairs

CWind, a leading provider of services to the offshore renewables industry and part of the Global Marine Group, announced that the company’s specialist cable installation vessel, the C.S. Sovereign, has successfully completed a vital power cable repair, reconnecting the Isles of Scilly to the mainland electricity.

The power cable was damaged late February by an anchor, a common occurrence with telecommunications and power cables. The C.S. Sovereign, along with her crew of experienced cable engineers and specialist cable equipment and machinery, was contracted for the repair and rapidly mobilized.

Using Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) deployed from the back deck of the C.S. Sovereign, the vessel and technical team onboard surveyed the cable on the sea bed, located the fault and recovered the cable ends before successfully completing the joint.

“The project was challenged by inclement weather, strong currents and restricted tide times but, together with the team at Western Power Distribution (WPD), we worked tirelessly to get the work completed within a month,” said Andy Lloyd, Director of Power Cables, CWind. “We are pleased the repairs were completed as quickly as possible without causing disruption to the customers on the Islands.”

The C.S. Sovereign is a highly capable, multi-role DPS-2 vessel with experience in both power and fiber optic cable installation and repair. The Global Marine Group also offers cable owners and operators, such as WPD, storage and management facilities for their most valuable assets within the company’s purposely-built and strategically located facility in Portland, Dorset.

Mr. Lloyd continued, “The cable was significantly damaged and there were several technical issues to overcome, but with the help of the WPD staff, we were able to create an innovative solution. Not only did we repair the damaged cable, we also created a shorter, more direct route between the connection points, and re-laid the cable on the sea bed, at a depth of 70 meters. All of this was successfully completed within just a few weeks.”

The C.S. Sovereign has now returned to the company’s UK depot in Portland, Dorset, but will return to the site in the coming weeks to complete further surveys and protection works on the repaired and re-laid cable.

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