Subsea power cable protection
Fuerteventura, Spain
Subsea power cable protection
Status: Installation completed, marine wildlife flourishing along the cable less than 1 year post-installation
The Goal
Red Eléctrica requested a tailor-made ecological concrete solution to protect the new interconnector cable between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. The project aimed at promoting the integration of this type of infrastructure in the environment and its positive impact on biodiversity.
The Challenge
Red Eléctrica‘s environmental technicians managed to pass the 14.5 km route mostly through sandy areas, but the only option was to cross a stretch of rocky terrain where a trench had to be opened using “rock trenching” technique. This required a cable protection solution also benefitting the sensitive local marine ecosystem and its biodiversity. The photo shows the installation 1 year post installation.
How We Built It
Red Eléctrica worked with ECOncrete to develop and deploy a bespoke ecological concrete solution for protecting the interconnector cable along its sub-sea trench. The sub-sea electrical cable between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, protected by ecological concrete technology, has enhanced marine biodiversity: Various species of algae, sponges, crustaceans, molluscs, sea urchins and fish have adopted the structure as their habitat, presenting a clear ecological uplift compared to standard cable protection solutions.
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