Irish Sea Contractors has developed a globally patented subsea cable repair solution called 'AERSUB™'. AERSUB is designed and built to internationally recognised standards for quality and safety including DNV, IMCA and NORSOK standards relating to diving, equipment and subsea operations.
How it works?
Based on our ethos, "anything you can do on land, we can do under the sea", we developed a cable repair solution for the seabed instead of relocating the cable repair to the deck of a ship. Using AERSUB, we cut the cable in the dry and eliminate the need to lift the cable for repair. Using our own specially trained subsea jointers and commercially available cable joints for any LV/MV/HV cable repair, we can operate in water depths up to 200 m.
BENEFITS OF AERSUB
GREATER THAN 60%
cost and time savings compared to traditional 'lift to repair' method
GREATER THAN 60%
carbon emissions reduction per repair versus 'lift to repair' method
24/7
availability
resulting in a faster cable repair response
AERSUB Development Milestones
2016/2017
IDEATION
Irish Sea Contractors participated in multiple offshore wind and subsea cables conferences across Europe and we noticed one theme - cable owners and insurance underwriters commenting on the excessive costs of subsea power cable repair. There started the journey of AERSUB.
2017
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
After identifying a need in the cable repair market, Irish Sea Contractors came up with an idea to repair subsea cables on the seabed. As the concept developed, Irish Sea Contractors successfully lodged global patents for AERSUB.
2018
DEVELOPING AERSUB
A design team was assembled and workshops were held with naval architects, certification bodies, marine consultants, boat builders. An AERSUB prototype was developed for use in our Subsea Innovation Facility where we conducted all feasibility studies using certified joints. A workshop was held with DNV to assess AERSUB's technology. Based on the outcome, DNV issued a statement of feasibility, affirming that DNV GL considers the technology is suited for further development and qualification
2018
SUBSEA CABLE TRAINING ACADEMY
Irish Sea Contractors developed a comprehensive training programme for subsea jointers. Our subsea personnel received advanced cable jointing training in our Subsea Innovation Facility. This training continues in conjunction with OEMs.
2019
PROTOTYPE UNVEILING & UK PATENTS
The prototype was unveiled by the Irish Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Michael D’Arcy, to a host of distinguished guests and customers following two days of proof of concept repair demonstration. Watch video.
Patents were granted for Great Britain on AERSUB.
2021
INVESTMENT & DNV ENDORSEMENT
DNV issued Irish Sea Contractors with an Endorsement of Technology Qualification plan stating that the technology can be successfully qualified on the basis of an agreed plan. In 2021, we also received funding from Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Government Agency who were voted in 2021 as the top VC investor worldwide by PitchBook.
2022/2023
CERTIFICATION & PATENTS GRANTED
Testing, analysis and procedures have been completed with DNV. Final wet testing scheduled to be completed by 2022/2023. European Patent and the US Patent were granted for AERSUB.
How AERSUB works
AERSUB
Repair demonstration of prototype
In May 2019, the commercial prototype of AERSUB was deployed to undertake a demonstration repair of a 3-core subsea power cable off Rosslare Harbour in Ireland. The weather recorded onsite was Force 7 NNW straight into the harbour with 1.5 m swell–limits which would have caused the cessation of a traditional ‘lift-to-repair’ method.
AERSUB jointers completed the splice of a new 1 m section into one of the power cores which included:
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four complete joints;
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twelve fibre optic cable joints;
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and installation of steel jointing case filled with resin.
Works were completed safely within 12 hours, demonstrating the time and cost efficiencies to be gained through this method. Learnings from this demo were captured and used to develop the prototype further.