By Corinne Reichert, ZDNet
Basslink has revealed that in order to complete repairs on its subsea cable providing energy and wholesale high-speed telecommunications services to Tasmania, it will require six days of consecutive clear weather for each of the three joints.
“As the jointing works take place on the deck of the vessel and are highly susceptible to weather conditions, each joint will require a window of relatively calm sea conditions and clear weather for six continuous days to allow such works to be completed safely,” Basslink said on Friday.
“Bad weather or rough sea state can damage the cable, result in abortive jointing works, or pose unnecessary occupational, health, and safety risks for the repair crew. The jointing works are highly complex, and will see the three lengths of new cables (ie, the high voltage cable, the metallic return cable and the fibre optic cable) joined to the existing cables and bundled together, before being laid on the seabed.”
The Basslink Interconnector, the world's second-longest subsea cable, has been down since December, leaving many Tasmanians without energy and internet services.
Late last month, Basslink revealed that excess water damage into its cable would result in repairs not being completed until mid-June. Prior to this, Basslink had said repairs would bedone by late May.
The fault in the cable was discovered 90.5km from the Tasmanian coastline and removed and capped on Easter Sunday, three months after going down.
Basslink has now said that repair work is progressing well after the cable repair vessel was loaded up with extra resources and specialists, returning to the Bass Strait on Tuesday.
