GAME-CHANGING technology, which will support the safe running of the country’s windfarms, has been successfully tested in Barrow.

First Subsea, which specialises in underwater mechanical connection systems, has completed its first customer-witnessed open-water demonstration of its new Cable Protection System for offshore facilities.

The Lancaster-based firm this week announced that it had successfully carried out the process at Rovtech Solutions’ Underwater Test Facilities in Barrow.

The CPS protects power cables as they transition from the seabed into the wind turbine structure. It will be used on Hornsea Project One, the world’s largest offshore windfarm being built off the Yorkshire coast, as part of a multi-million pound contract between First Subsea and Dong Energy.

The Barrow test facilities allowed the demonstration to take place in open water as close to offshore conditions as possible, incorporating challenges such as poor visibility and seabed interference while still being accessible and visible from the dockside. The demonstration included dockside assembly, subsea deployment and pull-in into a mock-up wind turbine structure, plus disconnection by a remotely operated vehicle.

John Shaw, managing director of First Subsea, said: “We are delighted to have successfully demonstrated to customers how quick and simple the installation and removal of our new CPS is. Following a recent contract to supply CPS to the Hornsea Project One, this is another significant milestone in our development and growth in the offshore renewables market.”