Subsea equipment designer and manufacturer Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) has signed a contract to supply a QTrencher 500 cable maintenance ROV to TE SubCom.
The QTrencher 500 will be delivered in Q1 2019. The vehicle will come equipped with SMD’s latest surface control and power cabin layout.
SMD’s Deck Equipment business will also supply a 12.5Te Wide Angle A-Frame operational in sea state 5 and an umbilical winch with steel armoured umbilical for operation in 2500mwd.
The QTrencher 500 has been developed especially for this order. The ROV is capable of trenching to a depth of up to 3 meters with multiple passes dependent on the ground conditions.
Paul Davison, managing director SMD Subsea, said: “This is a new product with advanced tooling and technology which we have developed specifically for the submarine telecoms market. It has 500hp in a compact footprint and 12Te weight limit which make it the best in its class, furthermore, advances in the jet tooling and a new suite of sensors to make it ‘digital ready’ for future asset management. This project marks a welcome sign of new product innovation and development in the submarine telecoms market.
“Our Services business will continue to support TE SubCom after delivery to ensure they receive full lifecycle support with their asset.”
John Dahlgren, director of Submersible Systems, TE SubCom said, “TE SubCom’s goal was to procure a vehicle system which would exceed client expectations for reliability, performance and cable protection. The result was a trencher which incorporates SubCom’s vast telecom cable installation experience and drive for innovation with SMD’s proven engineering and manufacturing expertise. SubCom is confident this new vehicle will lead the telecom industry in burial power and capability, inside a manageable and cost-effective footprint, while also incorporating the latest advancements in subsea technology. We are thrilled to have this new vehicle system joining our cable installation fleet, and look forward to delivery in early-2019.”
SMD Services’ customer training team will deliver training courses to ensure TE SubCom’s operational team are equipped with the necessary operating skills while on operation offshore. Alongside the trenching and deck equipment, SMD Services will be supplying a spares container which will house critical spares while out on operation, including a spare umbilical.