deugro Triumphs With Turkish Submarine Cable Delivery

By Malcolm Ramsay

From Issue 5, 2024 of Breakbulk Magazine.

(6-minute read)


Battling against both time and the elements can lead many projects to go awry but global logistics group deugro successfully navigated any such challenges in its recent delivery of tens of kilometers of submarine cables from the icy shores of Finland to Türkiye - a feat demanding unprecedented coordination and speed.

Contracted to transport 54 kilometers of submarine cables, deugro faced tight time pressures to complete the move, with success hinging on seamless coordination as well as innovative engineering solutions that could mitigate a series of technical and environmental challenges.

“All teams had to collaborate closely and precisely like clockwork to deliver the project safely and successfully within the specified timeframe and budget, as any delay or disruption in the supply chain would have had significant negative consequences for the entire project,” Stefano Sortino, project coordinator at deugro Milan, tells Breakbulk. “To keep all parties proactively and continuously informed and the overall project on track, daily status reports on the operational progress were crucial.”

The Turkish Crossing Project was initiated at the start of this decade, as part of a broader effort to enhance Türkiye’s power infrastructure. Designed to link the Turkish electricity grid with nearby markets, it involved design and installation of High Voltage AC (HVAC) submarine cables across the Dardanelles Strait, connecting Europe and Asia, and across the Izmit Gulf on the easternmost edge of the Sea of Marmara.

Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation (TEIAS) awarded the contract for the Dardanelles link to Italian energy and telecom cable specialist Prysmian Group in 2021 with the final delivery and construction stage ready to begin in late 2022.

German-headquartered freight forwarder deugro was initially invited to provide a simple quote for ocean transportation of cables from Finland to Türkiye, however as timeframes shortened, the coordinating team at Prysmian Powerlink requested a complete turnkey, all-in-one solution instead. This entailed tank engineering, installation and spooling, as well as provision of relevant personnel and equipment.

With a total weight of 3,300 metric tons, the cables represented a substantial transportation challenge in themselves, even before consideration of the route - from the Prysmian’s cable manufacturing facility in Pikkala, Finland, to the job site in the Dardanelles Strait, Türkiye. Near to the capital Helsinki, Pikkala faces harsh winter conditions with sea ice common in the Gulf of Finland and many hours of darkness.


Pre-Planning and Modification

The extreme winter conditions in Pikkala added an additional layer of complexity to the project and, facing these challenges head-on, deugro’s Milan team quickly moved to identify a suitable vessel. This meant securing a ship that would not only be available at short notice, but also meet the technical demands of transporting such a significant and delicate load. After comprehensive analysis of the requirements, the vessel chosen was the heavy-lift BBC Xingang, identified by deugro Chartering for its capability to handle the unique cargo.

“To safely stow, secure and transport the 54 kilometers of submarine cables, the heavy-lift vessel had to be equipped with two static tanks, which were installed in the box-shaped cargo hold,” Sortino explains. “The first fixed tank was able to accommodate 23.9 kilometers (1,460 metric tons) of HVAC cables and the second 30.1 kilometers (1,840 metric tons).

The design, production and installation of the static tanks were executed in collaboration with BBC Chartering, who developed and installed the modifications at the Port of Bremerhaven, Germany. Further alterations were also then needed to ensure safe and efficient spooling operations during cable pick-up and delivery to the cable-laying vessel.

“Because a wave-breaker in the bow section of the vessel prevented the positioning of the loading chute in the central part of the vessel and installation of a straight spooling line to the hold, deugro developed an ad-hoc solution to allow for the safe loading of cable from the side of the vessel,” Sortino adds.

Working with cable spooling partner Futura, the teams then installed a chute on the right side of the ship’s bow, with several rollers welded across the wave-breaker to overcome the obstacle and allow the cable to be safely repositioned in a straight line for the next activity — providing “a seamless handshake” from factory to tank.

A final challenge to be overcome was the opening type of the McGregor holds. For this deugro worked closely with the carrier to find a suitable loading sequence, allowing movement of cargo into the holds in a precise order—enabling safe completion of all loading and unloading operations.

“In view of the tight schedule, close and trouble-free communication, and coordination between the interdisciplinary partners and teams such as project management, shipping or engineering, as well as the individual areas of responsibility were paramount,” Sortino concludes.


Icy Challenge

With the BBC Xingang prepared and fully modified, the project moved to its next critical phase: the cable loading operations at Prysmian Group’s manufacturing facility in Pikkala. The harsh winter conditions, characterized by freezing temperatures, sea ice and limited daylight hours, presented significant challenges that required meticulous planning and execution to ensure the safe and timely loading of the submarine cables.

Francesco Pignati, project manager at deugro Milan, recalls the difficulties faced during this phase. “Some of the major challenges during the cable loading operations at the Pikkala Prysmian factory port were the harsh weather conditions and surface ice, and the fairly long distance from the vessel’s anchor position to shore,” he explains. These environmental factors added layers of complexity, as both the cargo and the handling equipment had to be carefully managed to prevent any weather-induced complications.

To mitigate these risks, the deugro team conducted detailed simulations of the cargo handling processes under various conditions and this proactive approach ensured that all team members were prepared for differing eventualities and necessary precautions were taken to maintain safety. Daily toolbox talks were also held prior to all critical operations, reinforcing protocols and ensuring that everyone involved was fully aware of the day’s tasks.

“In challenging weather conditions with varying temperatures, the cargo and the handling equipment used may react differently, which requires special attention and consideration,” Pignati elaborates.

“For this reason, precise technical calculations and simulations of cargo handling under different conditions and scenarios were just as essential as the daily toolbox talks prior to all critical operations to ensure the safety of all persons involved as well as the safety of the cargo.”

Another critical aspect of the loading operations was the distance between the vessel’s anchor position and the shore, which required a perfectly-aligned mooring system. Constant monitoring of the system was essential to keep the vessel steady and aligned, preventing any unexpected movements that could disrupt the loading process.

Despite the challenges, the deugro team successfully completed the cable loading operations, loading 24 kilometers of cable spooled into the first tank, at a rate of to 10 meters per minute, and an additional 30 kilometers safely reeled in the second tank. With the cables safely onboard, securely stowed and ready for transport, the BBC Xingang set sail for the Dardanelles Strait in Türkiye, where the next phase of the project would commence.


Cable Installation and Project Completion

Upon reaching the Eastern Mediterranean, the BBC Xingang navigated to the job site where it was to rendezvous with the installation vessel Gulio Verne, a state-of-the-art DP2 cable-laying vessel. Designed to tackle the most demanding subsea operations, the Gulio Verne features an impressive 7,000-ton carousel capacity, and is capable of laying power cables at depths of up to 1,600 meters, making it one of the most versatile and reliable vessels in its class.

The unspooling operations from the BBC Xingang to the Gulio Verne then commenced according to schedule. After seven days, the cables were successfully and safely delivered to the installation vessel, ensuring the schedule of the cable-laying project remained on track. With the cargo successfully transferred, the Gulio Verne was then able to proceed to lay the 54 kilometers of urgent HVAC cables, strengthening the connectivity of the Turkish grid.

The new Dardanelles III link is expected to significantly enhance the reliability and efficiency of regional power infrastructure, comprising a double circuit with a rating of 1 GW for each circuit and featuring HVAC 400 kV single-core cables with XLPE insulation and single wire armoring. Hailing the project as an “important step for Prysmian Group”, Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects at Prysmian, noted the firm is “very proud” of the partnership involved and looked forward to further strengthening business relations.

“After delivery, the port crew dismantled all the equipment and removed the tanks from the hold,” a spokesperson for the local team explained. “Within four days, the work was completed, and all the equipment was duly trucked back to Pozzuoli, Italy, while the tanks were disposed of locally in Türkiye.”

Highlighting the importance of teamwork throughout every stage of this project, Sortino notes that “from method statement development - including all required studies and calculations - to the provision of tank engineering and installation, personnel and equipment” close communication was the key to success and that ultimately this ensured “safe, efficient and smooth project delivery.”


deugro is an exhibitor at Breakbulk Europe and Breakbulk Middle East.

TOP PHOTO: Cable loading operations at the Pikkala Prysmian factory. CREDIT: deugro
PHOTO 2: Installed chute on the right side of the vessels bow. CREDIT: deugro
PHOTO 3: Cable spooling onto the custom-designed tanks. CREDIT: deugro