Curative maintenance of submarine cable links – Marine operations

RTE, the French electricity transmission system operator, is responsible for developing, building and operating high-voltage submarine cable links for interconnection with neighboring countries, or for connecting offshore wind farms to the terrestrial transmission grid.
RTE currently operates a wide range of submarine cable links on the Manche Channel, Atlantic and Mediterranean facades. In the future, the number of submarine cable links shall further increase with the development of HVDC long distance submarine cable links to offshore wind farms. These submarine cable links can be floating or laid on the sea floor.
In this context, RTE is preparing for curative maintenance of several submarine cable links of its current and future networks on both Channel/Atlantic and Mediterranean facades.
Curative maintenance of RTE networks is to be planned on HVAC (including floating technology) and HVDC bundle submarine cable links. In case of HVDC, maintenance operation shall cover handling of bundled cables (Two power cables and one fiber optic cable).
This curative maintenance shall encompass the means and personnel necessary to perform the Marine Operations scope which comprises:
1) Fault location along full cable length, i.e. from landfall to OSS hang-off;
2) Spread deployment to ensure cable repair, i.e. a) Vessel and equipment mobilization; b) Cable system spare load out at storage facility located in French harbors, RTE being responsible for cable system availability up to the quay edge; c) Deburial of faulty section; d) Cable cutting and preparation onboard for repair; e) Pull-in at OSS or landfall if required; f) Joint deployment; g) Cable system repaired section reprotection.
The jointing operation is excluded from this scope of work.
RTE would like to investigate ways to perform the above-mentioned Marine Operations scope and particularly on ways to limit the return-to-service time after a default and maintain a cost-effective approach. In order to achieve these two main objectives; this periodic indicative notice is designed to permit RTE to exchange both with marine operators and intermediaries (brokers).
Hence, this periodic indicative notice aims to encourage the market to have its various actors emerge and help RTE identify them. It shall also allow the market to clarify its capacity of service with respect to RTE periodic indicative notice and propose adapted and robust solutions.