6/2/2022 -

Marmon Aerospace & Defense, a Marmon/Berkshire Hathaway company, has broken ground on a new 80,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility in Hooksett, New Hampshire.

A press release said that when the plant is completed in the fall of 2023, it is expected to bring an additional 20 production jobs to the area. The company is investing $30 million in the new facility, which will house a state-of-the-art manufacturing operation producing large shipboard power cables to support the U.S. Navy and its ship-building network. The new operation will complement the company’s current product line at its plants in nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, and in Naples, Florida.

“This new facility will broaden Marmon’s military shipboard cable product offerings, which already include power, data, instrumentation, control, and communications cables,” said Robert Canny, president of Marmon Aerospace & Defense Group president. “We are pleased to make this investment in service to our customers, our team, and our community.”

6/2/2022 -

XLCC, a new HVDC, renewable energy-focused business in the U.K., has completed the concept design of an advanced, first-of-a-kind cable laying (CL) vessel—the XLCC CLV—to be delivered in the first half of 2025.

A press release said that the planned delivery of the XLCC CLV will support the Morocco, a U.K. power project that will require the delivery of four 3,800-km subsea HVDC cables from a wind and solar generation site in Morocco to the U.K. “Our vessel will be, on delivery, the most sophisticated, capable and green cable layer in the world,” said Alan Mathers, XLCC Director comments. “With this capability, we will be able to deliver on increasing demands globally for HVDC cable deployment and fill a current and future void in the market.”

In close collaboration with Salt Ship Design, the team has started the development of the basic design of the vessel while working towards the selection of a successful yard. The vessel design is being developed from basic design stage in 3D engineering software for best definition of steel structures and interiors arrangement. Operational aspects of the cable handling have been studied in close collaboration with MAATS Tech and Global Marine.

Asked by WJI what specifically will make the XLCC CLV the most advanced cable-laying ship ever, the company provided the below comments.

“Cable capacity is approximately double the largest CLVs in the present market. In laying significantly more cable per round trip, corresponding savings can be found in transit, time, and emissions. The speed of the loading the cable is significantly improved when compared to the industry standard. Cable loading has been aligned with production facilities, resulting in major time savings spent at harbor.

“The DC lay has been optimized with the two carousels below deck of the same capacity each. The vessel speed in transit is improved and optimized both for loaded condition and for returning to port empty. Transit speed loaded is approximately 15 knots, 16 knots returning to port.

“Unique to XLCC’s CLV is a hangar length of approximately 110 m. The vessel design, with its superstructure, is more aftship than typical, with the continuous hangar area in the vessel length above the carousels. The CLV will be prepared for future fuels (LOHC and methanol) with zero to low emission. Preparations for two alternative fuels in addition to MGO gives flexibility and ability to meet zero-emission operations in the future.”

Oman Australia Cable nears final step with completion of last cable landing

6/2/2022 -

China’s ZTT Submarine Cable & System (ZTT) has completed the factory acceptance test and cable load out of 60 km of 230 kV subsea cable for the Negros-Panay interconnector project in the Philippines.

At its website, the company reports that it has delivered the marine survey, design, supply, and lay-off of three submarine XLPE cables for the interconnection project. The order, for 2021, includes engineering, procurement, commissioning and installation (EPCI).

The delivery and project execution is on time, and in accordance with the contract schedule. ZTT will commission the whole cable system. That includes associated accessories, such as load prediction systems and other equipment, from Panay Island to Negros Island. The system includes associated accessories such as load prediction systems and other equipment.

The interconnector, a three-stage project developed by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), will interconnect the islands of Cebu, Negros and Panay, as part of the plan to strengthen the overall Philippines power transmission network.

Stage one presents the submarine cable component that increases the transfer capacity of the existing corridor between Negros and Panay islands. Stages two and three of the Cebu-Negros-Panay interconnection project are to establish a 230 kV backbone to accommodate the transmission of excess power from Panay and Negros towards the rest of Visayas.