[Update – the work described below has now been completed. This 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 force for this project. This can be accessed via the project description page here.]
Mariners are advised that a 28km length of cable has been temporarily surface laid on the seabed along the Western HVDC Link cable route due to the recent bad weather. This length of cable has been laid in the Irish Sea to the south of the Isle of Man. A Notice to Mariners advising of the location of this cable can be downloaded here and is summarised below.
Surface laid cable
The surface laid cable lies between the following points:-
- Start: 53°50.173’N 004°02.367’W
- End: 53°53.514’N 004°27.040’W
The as laid cable installation details are given in the Notice to Mariners, along with a chart illustrating its location. The surface laid cable runs parallel to, and 20m north, of the most recently laid section of the Western Link cable.
Vessels are requested to pass at a safe speed and distance and fishing vessels are advised to operate at a safe distance (approximately 1.5 nautical miles) from the area identified.
The cable will be recovered, jointed to the installed cable, and buried during 2016.
Guard vessels
Guard Vessels have been deployed to aid in monitoring the exposed cable and to advise of safe distances locally.
Notices to Mariners
The Notices to Mariners currently issued for this project are:-
- Wet storage of cable – this notice advises of the surface laying of a 28km stretch of cable in temporary “wet storage” along part of the Western HVDC Link cable route. The notice can be downloaded here .
- Deep Water Cable Installation – this is being carried out by the vessel Giulio Verne, starting in July 2015. The most up to date Notice to Mariners 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 earlier this year can be downloaded here.
If you have any queries about the Western Link project, please contact Jim Andrews, Fisheries Liaison Officer by e-mail or by phone on +44(0)7908-225865.