Client: Kings Harbour Master
Project: Boskalis cable extraction in Portsmouth harbour channel
Principle Contractor: Boskalis
Contractor: MMC Diving Services
Duration: 10 days
Date posted: 17-10-2023
MMC Diving Services were appointed as the preferred diving supplier to assist Boskalis to undertake the removal of 3 large underwater power cables, these needed extracting prior to the dredging and deepening of the berth pocket and main channel to enable larger vessels to dock within the international ferry port and within HMNB Portsmouth Dockyard.
These cables were once used to supply power to Whale Island, while running across the seabed through Portsmouth's busy channel entering the international ferry port.
The power cables have sat deep in the mud and silt for over 50 years. Within that time much work has been undertaken to the dock yard and Jetty resulting in a plethora of debris being left behind, including large steels, rebar and concrete piles, unused pipes, sheet piling all making the simple extraction of the cabling slightly less straight forward than had been previously expected.
Due to the sheer volume of vessels entering and exiting the port a notice to mariners with a wide berth and speed reduction had been put in place and vital continuous communications with the MMC Supervisor and the Kings Harbour Authority were adhered to. MMC dive team were able to free all the cables ready for extraction ahead of the schedule saving time and money for the client.
"A big thanks to you and your team for a very reactive & profession effort. BZ, job well done!"
Richard Cope,
Boskalis Framework manager
