Credeblug and also Tecnalia have actually teamed to boost the repair and maintenance procedures performed on undersea power line. The outcome: the manufacture and also recognition of s reducing and also securing device, developed to protect one end of a cable television after it has actually been reduced, intending to conserve money and time.
“This functionality has been called for by offshore cable repair teams all over the world since such operations began in the 19th century,” said Joannes Berquè, a TECNALIA researcher. “To this day, current cutting tools mean that the ends of the cable drop off after they have been cut. The repair operation then requires an additional search for the end of the cable with another tool, usually a cable clamp, which gropes around the seabed in poor visibility, which is challenging even for the best equipment. In rough seas, this additional search and lift operation can take several hours, with a knock-on effect on the entire repair operation.”
“The Cabletool project is a new step in Credeblug’s strategy to develop specific loading tools for the offshore sector,” said Asier Susaeta, GM Credeblug. “We already have technology capable of handling large loads up to 1,000 meters deep, so this new development is a step forward in terms of functionality. We believe that by reducing submarine cable mooring, cutting and recovery times, we offer differentiating technology in the market and certainty in this type of operation.”
Credeblug’s device incorporates a cable television hold and also a cutter in a solitary hydraulic device. The grab likewise consists of illumination and also vision systems for cable television mapping and also a far better grab positioning. The long arms of the grab is developed to make it less complicated to find and also fetch wires from the seabed, as the arms make it feasible to penetrate much deeper right into the seabed where the cable television is typically hidden. Once the cable television has actually been gotten and also safeguarded under water, the guillotine cutter is turned on. The most vital function is that the grab hangs securely onto the cable television after the cut, instead of going down completions onto the seabed. The cut end is after that securely increased by the grab and also instantly turned over to the deck staff to prepare it for the splicing group.
After 3 years of advancement and also screening at the Credeblug plant in Azpeitia, in March 2023 they were efficiently able to perform their recognition mixed-up, in the port of Bermeo (Bizkaia), as component of an R&D job sustained by the Basque Government’s Hazitek Program (WIND2GRID). The clutching, reducing and also securing device is currently offered for completely secured undersea power line approximately 270 mm, and also bigger dimensions can be produced on demand.
