19th January 2010
This was a fascinating insight into the complex world of sub-sea pipe and cable trenching, very little of which has previously been publicly aired. It is also a very British story! Two Chartered Engineers, Tim Ley from Land and Marine in Bromborough and Colin Gibson (now retired from Land & Marine) with over 50 years' joint experience in the business demonstrated how engineers, several from Newcastle University Agricultural Engineering Department, various consultants and British sub-sea engineering companies particularly RJBA, Land and Marine, SMD, IHC Engineering Business and CTC Marine, had transformed the methods for pipeline and cable burial from rudimentary drag-line and jetting methods in the 1950s and 60s to today's highly sophisticated and productive seabed ploughs. It also highlighted the expertise that now lies in the North East of England and which now boasts a cluster of world leading designers and designs of this submarine equipment. It was explained that these skills will be vital for the UK in the near future as we connect renewable energy generated offshore into the grid.