The French-flagged research vessel “Abeille Marengo” has been in the port of Heraklion since Tuesday morning, where it will conduct subsea surveys for the installation of direct-current submarine cables as part of the Crete-Cyprus (Great Sea Interconnector) electricity interconnection project.
The vessel arrived in Heraklion from Italy and is waiting for the required official navigational warning (NAVTEX) to be issued, specifying the maritime area where the planned work will take place.
Navy to be notified 72 hours before surveys begin
The process for notifying the relevant military and naval authorities before the survey work begins is of particular importance.
As expressly stipulated in the relevant request, the “Abeille Marengo” will notify the Hydrographic Service, the Submarine Command and the Naval Aviation Command (DAN) of the Hellenic Navy at least 72 hours before starting work, and on a daily basis throughout the operation.
The notifications will include the precise coordinates, a description of the work, the required safety distances and any other information needed to ensure the surveys are conducted safely.
The document also requests that local port authorities and vessels passing through the area be notified. They will be required to keep at least one nautical mile from the survey vessels.
According to reports, the vessel is expected to operate under the discreet presence of vessels from the Hellenic Coast Guard and units of the Hellenic Navy, as part of efforts to monitor and secure activities in the area.
How the subsea surveys will be conducted
The subsea surveys have been assigned to the Italian company Next Geosolutions Europe SpA, a member of the Marnavi shipping group that specialises in geophysical and geotechnical surveys for offshore energy infrastructure. The contract was awarded by French company Nexans, which is responsible for building and installing the Crete-Cyprus electricity interconnection cable.
The surveys will be conducted along the planned route of the cable, between the maritime area of Korakia, in the Heraklion region, and Cyprus.
The main objective is to map the seabed in detail and record its geological and morphological features, in order to select the most suitable route for safely laying and protecting the power cables.
Specialist systems will be used for this purpose, including a multibeam echosounder, side-scan sonar, a magnetometer and underwater video equipment.
Geotechnical samples are also expected to be taken at depths of up to 700 metres below the sea surface, along with penetration tests and seabed drilling.
The main challenges are the great depths of the eastern Mediterranean and the presence of steep underwater slopes and geomorphological formations.
The licensing process
Additional approval on an exceptional basis was sought from the relevant departments of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Hellenic Coast Guard for the use of the French-flagged “Abeille Marengo”.
The document notes that the use of this particular vessel was deemed necessary because of the surveys’ demanding technical requirements and the lack of similarly equipped Greek-flagged vessels during the relevant period.
The “Abeille Marengo”, which is 73.2 metres long, was built in Norway in 2009 and is equipped for offshore operations.
Source: ANA-MPA