The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has released a new Code of Practice to improve the installation of underwater power cables in offshore wind.
The Code of Practice for Offshore Cable Laying in the Renewable Energy Industry (IMCA M264) addresses issues for the safe laying and terminating of offshore power cables to prevent damage. At the point at which cables leave the laying vessel and meet the seabed, they are frequently subject to damage caused by over-bending, cable-pulling, and inadequate design of lead into the monopile. In addressing issues such as the laying spread – the combined set of systems required for the installation of the cable – as well as the interface between the vessel and the spread, and the safest methodology for overboarding, trenching and cable pulling, the IMCA Code of Practice establishes a new baseline for safely laying offshore submarine power cables which will improve performance.
