Mertech Marine Recovers Submarine Cable
Mertech Marine has recovered the decommissioned Bermuda-US-1 cable from the ocean’s depths, and it will be sent to the company’s specialized facilities in South Africa.
A spokesperson said, “After purchasing the remaining submerged section of the decommissioned Bermuda-US-1 [BUS-1] cable connecting Bermuda to the United States, Mertech Marine announces that it has recovered cable from the oceans depths.
“From as deep as 5,205 meters [17,077 feet] the company’s specialist vessels hauled the recovered cable and its repeaters to the surface and from there they will be transshipped to the company’s specialized facilities in South Africa.
“Only weeks after completing the cable’s purchase from international subsea services provider GlobeNet, Mertech Marine’s MV Lida and MV Layla began the recovery on 1 May, and by 23 May, the undersea operations were a complete success.”
“A few years back, the cable’s previous owner, GlobeNet, replaced BUS-1 with a new high capacity cable along the same Bermuda-US route as part of its regional network that connects North and South America. “We are proud to support this ‘green’ activity and contribute to protecting the marine environment,” said Philippe Perrier, CTO of the company.
Mertech Marine CEO Alwyn du Plessis observed that after recovering 650 metric tons of the Bermuda-US-1 cable from the seafloor, the vessels will continue to recover additional assets that Mertech Marine has also acquired in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Oceans.
“Our plan is to keep all three of our vessels deployed and working to recover cables in the oceans around the world. Since the oceans are crisscrossed by cables dating back to telegraph cables installed in the 1860s, we believe that recovering those cables that can be safely recovered contributes positively to the industry by relieving congestion and also positively impacts the environment through the circular economy.”
