The 4 km subsea cable has been laid at Galway Bay, Ireland, as part of the development of Galway Bay Ocean Energy Test Site.
The cable will supply power to the site and allow unlimited data transfer from the site for researchers testing innovative marine technology including renewable ocean energy devices.
It is connected to the shore at Spiddal, a coastal village in the west of Ireland.
Research vessel Celtic Explorer was used to lay the cable, together with the frame to which sensors and monitoring equipment will be attached as part of the development of an ocean observatory at Galway Bay.
The sensors and environmental monitoring equipment are expected to be installed this summer, Marine Institute’s press release reads.
Simon Coveney , Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said: “The new facilities at the Galway Bay Ocean Energy Test site will attract companies and researchers developing marine technology and renewable ocean energy equipment, and will position Ireland at the forefront of these emerging sectors by developing an expert indigenous supply chain that will expand as these sectors grow. The ocean observatory will also enhance our ability to monitor the ocean and better understand how it works, which is critical to tackling issues such as climate change.”
The cable project is funded in part by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) which contributed EUR 2.2 mln to the project.
The Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine provided an additional EUR 600.000 in 2014, which represents the total of EUR 2.8 mln.
The project is a collaboration between the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, the Marine Institute, University College Cork (Marine Renewable Energy Ireland – MaREI), SmartBay Ireland and Dublin City University.
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Image: Marine Institute