Challenge
A major subsea cable manufacturer was developing a new production facility in Scotland to support growing demand from the offshore wind sector.
The facility required specialist equipment to safely handle and transfer finished subsea electrical cable throughout the manufacturing and storage process, including spooling gantries and tensioning equipment. A key requirement was to achieve the necessary cable handling performance while complying with strict site noise requirements and optimising equipment footprint, installed power and through-life maintenance.
Solution
Drawing on more than 30 years of experience designing and supplying offshore tensioning systems, THREE60 designed and manufactured specialist equipment as part of the facility's wider cable management infrastructure. The solution included spooling gantries and associated tensioners to transfer finished cable into and out of static storage baskets.
The tensioner design incorporated motors with integrated drives to minimise equipment footprint and optimise through-life maintenance requirements. An innovative chain arrangement maintained the required line pull while reducing overall installed power requirements by approximately 25%, enabling further reductions in equipment weight and cost. The hydraulic system was also optimised, reducing oil capacity and cooling requirements while supporting the stringent noise criteria associated with the facility.
Result
THREE60 delivered a purpose-designed cable handling solution supporting the safe and efficient movement and storage of finished subsea cable within the new manufacturing facility. The optimised design reduced installed power, equipment weight, component count and hydraulic oil requirements, while simplifying assembly and future maintenance.
The solution demonstrates how THREE60's established offshore handling and engineering capability can be transferred to major infrastructure supporting the continued growth of offshore wind.
