By DARA BUTTERFIELD
Cable protection specialist Tekmar Energy has fitted its TekTube system for the first time on an offshore wind project.
Developed in close cooperation with VBMS, TekTube was successfully installed on Westermeerwind near-shore wind farm in the Netherlands.
Tekmar was awarded the Westermeerwind contract by VBMS just months after the company demonstrated TekTube at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult’s Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth, Northumberland.
TekTube was also the first new patented product that was produced at Tekmar’s new manufacturing facility in the north-east of England.
Tekmar supplied cable installation contractor, VBMS, with 92 of its systems to protect the cables into the 48 wind turbine foundations for the Siemens’ EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) project which is located along the dikes of the Noordoostpolder.
TekTube’s innovative pre-installation method allows cable protection systems to be fitted ahead of cable installation saving time on the cable installation vessel and improving efficiency of the overall operation.
Installation work ran even more quickly than initially expected with up to six systems put in place within each 12-hour window for work.
James Ritchie, Chief Executive, Tekmar, said: “Delivering TekTube for the first time makes Westermeerwind a particularly momentous project and one which saw us work with VBMS for the 16th time.
“TekTube was designed as a result of our ongoing investment into researching and developing next generation cable protection systems that continue to help drive down costs, improve offshore installation rates and ensure cable integrity for the service life which is typically 25 years.”
With more than 30 years’ experience, Tekmar is a market leader in the design, manufacture and supply of subsea cables, umbilicals and flexible protection systems for the renewable energy and oil & gas industry. The company is based in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
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