DeepOcean and the controlling entity of TFKable Group, comprising Tele-Fonika Kable and JDR Cable Systems, have agreed to establish a joint venture targeting integrated engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) services for inter-array cable projects in offshore wind.
The proposed venture would bring together TFKable Group’s cable manufacturing capabilities with DeepOcean’s offshore engineering, installation and seabed intervention expertise. The partners also plan to develop a dedicated cable-laying vessel for the new business.
The companies said the initiative is intended to reduce the number of interfaces between cable manufacture and offshore installation, an issue that can affect project schedules and risk allocation as offshore wind projects become larger and more complex.
“Offshore wind developers are increasingly looking for greater collaboration and integration across the supply chain,” said Øyvind Mikaelsen, CEO of DeepOcean. “By combining complementary cable manufacturing and offshore installation capabilities, we intend to create a more efficient delivery model that reduces interfaces, strengthens risk management and supports greater project certainty.”
The proposed offering would cover several stages of an inter-array cable project, including seabed mapping, route surveys, engineering, cable manufacture and transport, trenching, installation and cable protection.
TFKable Group includes Tele-Fonika Kable and JDR Cable Systems, which have cable manufacturing operations in Poland and the UK. The group has supplied subsea power cable systems for offshore wind projects and is continuing to invest in manufacturing capacity and technology.
DeepOcean provides survey, engineering, project management, cable installation and seabed intervention services to offshore energy projects.
The companies expect the collaboration to develop over several years, with key milestones currently planned through 2029. A purpose-built cable-laying vessel is also being considered as part of the programme.
The vessel would be owned by a separate entity involving Poland’s state-owned industrial development agency ARP, DeepOcean and the controlling entity of TFKable Group. Work towards project sanction is under way.
Piotr Mirek, a member of Tele-Fonika Kable’s management board and executive director for supply chains and investments at JDR Cable Systems, said the partners aim to “reduce interface risk, improve schedule certainty and support more efficient and predictable delivery”.
The joint venture remains subject to competition authority approval and other customary closing conditions.
