The consortium of Nexans Norway AS and Prysmian Cavi e Sistemi SrL was awarded by GCCIA (Gulf Countries Council Interconnection Authority) a contract of an extra high-voltage link to interconnect the power grids of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. This project is part of a larger-scale project, the GCC Interconnection Grid which was planned to interconnect most of the major Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman) and has the capability to transport 1200 MVA (by High Voltage Alternate Current transmission).
Two circuits with totally six parallel submarine cables run from Al Jasra (Bahrain mainland) to Umm An Na’Asan (Bahraini island) and from Umm An Na’Asan (Bahraini island) to Ras Al Qurayyah (Saudi Arabia mainland). The cables route distance between the Bahrain mainland and the Bahraini island is 3.5 km while between the Bahraini island and the Saudi mainland the distance is 39 km.
The consortium had appointed Assodivers Ltd. as a subcontractor to execute the protection works of the above mentioned cables. The operation was executed by utilizing MPSV 'Astrea' DP support vessel and basically achieved using two different methods, due to the varying nature of the seabed. The first was pre-trenching using 'AssoTrencher VIII' and subsequent cable installation while the second involved post burial (after the cable had been laid) using jetting by 'AssoJet II' and/or trenching by 'AssoTrencher VIII' and/or 'AssoTrencher VII'. The cables were also pulled ashore in all four landing areas.