Subsea Cable Remediation and Protection

Tender description

National Grid is seeking to establish a long-term framework agreement with an experienced Contractor capable of delivering cable protection solutions, including rock berms, rock bags, concrete mattresses, and other manners of appropriate protection of subsea electricity cables. This tender is issued by National Grid UK "NGUK" Limited for and on behalf of its entities. The contract allows the wider National Grid Group and its JV Partners ("Employer") to instruct Work. NGUK and its subsidiaries shall instruct the Contractor to provide the Works for the following Interconnector Assets and Projects and any subsequent Assets which are commissioned from time to time: • National Grid Ventures Unincorporated Joint Ventures (NGV UJV) - IFA, IFA2, North Sea Link and Viking Link. • National Grid Ventures Incorporated Joint Ventures (NGV IJV) - Britned, Nemo Link, Lion Link. • Other National Grid cable businesses / Strategic Infrastructure (SI) - Eastern Green Link 1, Eastern Green Link 2, Eastern Green Link 3, Eastern Green Link 4, Eastern Green Link 5, Sea Link, Western Link, Western Link 2. The NGV UJV businesses will likely be the first contract users as there are currently multiple known exposures requiring protection. The agreement will be used when a maintenance survey identifies cable exposure requiring intervention or when a new cable section recently installed requires protection after a repair. The works shall provide minimum cover subsea cable system remediation and protection, with all the necessary and appropriate equipment required to achieve compliant completion of the works. This equipment deployed will need to cover all subsea cables and all scenarios listed below: a) Nearshore - In the nearshore environment, defined as water depths of 0 to 20 metres Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT). b) Offshore - In the offshore environment, defined as water depths in excess of of 20 metres LAT. In addition to the primary cable protection works, the Employer wishes to retain the flexibility to issue Work Orders for activities that may arise over the duration of this long-term agreement to support asset resilience. While there are currently no defined scopes for these activities, the Contractor is expected to have the capability to undertake such works if required, including: • Seabed debris removal and relocation - which may involve methods such as ROV grapnel tooling, ploughs or other appropriate clearance techniques. • Remedial and reburial works - including cable reburial and sand wave removal activities using methods such as Mass Flow Excavation or other appropriate excavation techniques. The Contractor is expected to support the core cable protection scope while maintaining the capability and readiness to deliver additional seabed intervention and cable reburial services as and when required throughout the term of the agreement.