Stephen Holden, of GMSL, speaks on the challenges companies face when repairing cables on a increasingly crowded continental shelf.

In the last 30 years, there has been an increase of assets placed on the continental shelf.  There are oil rigs, offshore wind farms, scientific observatories, and more.  Holden also believes it will become even more crowded in the near future.

Because of this, spacial planning is going to become increasingly necessary when adding anything to the area.

Comfortable co-existing is a bit of a problem right now, says Holden.  Right now, communication between the different industries don't properly communicate and this can lead to situations like wind farms being built too close to cables.

“Don't take a Nimby Approach, ‘not in my back yard,” Holden says.  A workable compromise is necessary for the continued development of the area.  This includes admitting that co-existence may push up the cost for cable repairs and the like.

“Maybe the time has come to revisit the natoinal organizations with ICPC,” suggests Holden, as a way to better communicate and regulate the development.

“You need to be vigilent in order to make sure you can still operate your submarine cables.”