Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) have signed a contract with S.B. Submarine Systems (SBSS) for the design, manufacture and delivery of the next generation MD3XT submarine telecom cable plough.
The complete plough system will come equipped with an optical umbilical and SMD purpose-designed and manufactured umbilical winch. This will be supplied together with the control and power cabins to provide a complete turnkey solution.
Tom Qiu , fleet operations director of SBSS, explained: “SBSS have identified the MD3XT Plough as providing the leading solution for our telecom cable installation requirements. The 3.3 metre burial capability in up to 1500 metres water depth and the ability to interchange plough shares at sea ensure SBSS continue to offer class-leading equipment to our customers in Asia. Having used the SMD systems for the past 16 years to bury over 15,000km of cable, SBSS have the utmost confidence in the technology and we look forward to receiving our new MD3XT Plough and providing our valuable clients with the region’s most advanced and efficient installation solutions.”
“We are delighted to win this contract and use the knowledge and feedback of clients like SBSS to improve our products,” said Paul Davison , managing director of SMD Trenching, Mining and Renewables. “Improving our products is key to unlocking value for our clients. We expect this MD3XT will increase performance rates by a factor of up to four and that is due to SMD innovations in plough and umbilical technology which differentiate this product in the market, this is especially important given the activity and growth in the submarine telecoms market.”
The plough will be delivered in Q4 2017 and mobilised onto the CS FU HAI.