TenneT Joins Subsea Cable Decommissioning Tool Development

Frequensea Subsea Decommissioning Tool Testing at Deltares (Credit: Frequensea)

TenneT Germany has joined DEME and Subsea Cable Assets (SCA) as a development sponsor of Frequensea's subsea cable decommissioning tool, which is being developed to recover buried offshore cables while reducing seabed disturbance.

The technology uses patented vibration-induced fluidisation to reduce soil resistance around buried subsea infrastructure, allowing cables, umbilicals and pipelines to be recovered with potentially smaller vessels and lower energy consumption.

TenneT Germany will contribute its experience as an offshore transmission system operator, particularly in subsea power cable infrastructure, to the tool's development.

Following the successful completion of a testing programme at Deltares, TenneT Germany plans to evaluate the technology's potential for future offshore cable decommissioning in the North Sea.

The company joins existing sponsors DEME, an offshore energy contractor, and SCA, a specialist in cable handling systems.

The development programme aims to qualify the Frequensea Decommissioning Tool for offshore deployment, with potential applications in recovering subsea power cables as offshore wind farms reach the end of their operational lives.

Frequensea's technology is designed to reduce seabed disturbance during cable removal while preserving recovered materials for potential reuse.

The announcement did not specify a timetable for offshore deployment or disclose financial terms of the sponsorship arrangements.