Nippon Salvage plays an active role in the marine salvage business in the Pacific Ocean and other seas around the world. They are advancing into the marine construction field, building on the technology and expertise accumulated over many years in the salvage industry. 

The company is involved in various marine development projects such as laying submarine power and communication cables. In doing so, they contribute to the advancement of sustainable energy in Japan and beyond. For these purposes, Nippon Salvage required an inter-array cable lay system for their 'Masakuni' barge. 

New inter-array cable laying equipment

The 'Masakuni' is a multi-purpose work barge. We designed and manufactured an inter-array cable lay system that has been installed on the 'Masakuni'. Equipped with this latest cable-laying equipment, the 'Masakuni' is expected to play an active role in existing submarine cable projects as well as in the offshore wind power projects, for which demand is anticipated to grow in the near future. At this stage it is dedicated to laying submarine cables for bottom-mounted offshore wind turbines, operating in the shallow water areas of Japan. 

Artist impression of the Masakuni barge with cable lay system

A complete system

It features a basket carousel, loading arm, tracked tensioner, quadrant and associated handling system, cable highway, and chutes, making it an impressive achievement in engineering. This system packs a huge punch by fitting a large amount of functionality onto a compact asset, maximising the available space. 

Cable installation at Nyuzen wind farm

Recently, the 'Masakuni' has successfully completed the installation of array cables for the Nyuzen wind farm. The top image captures a key moment in this process: the pulling in of the submarine cable to one of the offshore wind turbines in the wind power project off the coast of Nyuzen Town, Japan. Nippon Salvage has expertly laid three submarine cables, each connecting to one of three offshore wind turbines. 

This achievement marks a significant milestone in their efforts to harness renewable energy from offshore sources. Additional projects are anticipated to advance the pursuit of sustainable energy solutions.

Sea trials of the Masakuni barge

Key to success

The success of the project was driven by several key factors: close collaboration with the client during the concept phase, smart utilisation of the local supply chain in Japan to optimise project delivery, and the use of robust and field-proven technology. Additionally, the hard work and dedication of both our teams were crucial in overcoming the challenges of the project. 

We are confident that this spread of equipment will give Nippon Salvage market-leading capability in the growing Japanese offshore wind market. This project shows our capabilities within the cable lay sector, demonstrates our turnkey capability and our experience to effectively manage complex build contracts abroad.

Tom Blanchford - Business Development Manager
Masakuni Sea Trials

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