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18

Wire & Cable ASIA – May/June 2015

www.read-wca.com

news

Industry

E-MARINE, a provider of submarine

cable installation and repair solutions

in the Middle East and sub-continent

region, has unveiled ambitious plans to

expand its fleet of cable ships in 2015,

with the first ship, the

CS Maram

,

beginning dock trials ahead of its

maiden voyage this year.

The

CS Maram

, which was built in Abu

Dhabi, UAE, has been designed to

manage

the

installation

and

maintenance of all types of submarine

cables,

including

fibre

optic

telecommunications cables and energy

cables. The ship is expected to

successfully complete dock trials and

be ready for launch within the coming

months.

E-marine’s planned fleet expansion will

see

the

addition

of

further

multi-purpose vessels in the coming

years, boosting its coverage across the

region, with a particular focus on East

Africa and the wider region. The

expansion will help strengthen the

firm’s presence in the high-growth

subsea cable market and undertake

activities to stem demand from

telecoms and energy sectors.

Omar Jassim Bin Kalban, managing

director and chief executive officer,

said: “Our commitment to increasing

market share in the region will see a

significant expansion to our fleet. By

increasing our number of vessels, we

are positioning E-marine to provide a

faster, wider and far reaching service to

cable owners through reduced transit

times and closer proximity to cable

systems.

“This investment in our fleet signifies a

renewed confidence and optimism in

the region’s digital future, and will

support the roll-out and maintenance

of submarine cables. The

CS Maram

is

a state-of-the-art cable ship that will

provide our customers with the latest

subsea cabling technology.”

The fully loaded maintenance and

installation vessel will incorporate a

submarine robot or ROV (remotely

operated vehicle) that will enable the

vessel to undertake pre-inspections

and surveys of the seabed and cut

trenches to bury the cable.

Once the

CS Maram

is fully operational,

it will generate direct employment

opportunities in the region.

The company already has a highly

skilled and diverse workforce of more

than 20 nationalities, and will be

seeking an international crew of

captains, seamen and technicians for

the new ship from across the region to

take up positions on board the vessel.

E-marine – UAE

Website

:

www.emarine.ae

Private equity firm Actis, and Mainstream Renewable Power,

have launched a pan-African renewable energy generation

platform, Lekela Power.

By 2018 Lekela Power will provide between 700MW and

900MW of wind and solar power across Africa.

Mainstream and Actis have two previous partnerships, in

South Africa and Chile. Lekela Power will operate in a

similar fashion to the existing partnerships, with Mainstream

taking responsibility for project management and plant

operation and maintenance.

Mainstream has announced the start of construction for

three wind farms in South Africa to form the core of the

Lekela platform.

The projects, with a combined capacity of 360MW, are

located in the country’s Northern Cape and were awarded to

Mainstream as part of the government’s renewable energy

procurement programme.

They are expected to reach commercial operation beginning

in 2016. Mainstream also has a pipeline of other projects

across Africa, including the 225MW Ayitepa wind project in

Ghana, which will transfer to the Lekela platform at financial

close.

Commenting on Lekela, Lucy Heintz, a partner, and head of

renewable energy at Actis, said: “With soaring demand and

funding constraints, Africa’s need for renewable energy is

pressing.

“In South Africa, for example, currently 95 per cent of the

country’s electricity is generated by coal-fired power

stations.

“While the region has significant natural and fossil fuel

resources, a lack of long-term investment has led to a

reliance on emergency and short-term diesel generation.”

Actis – UK

Website

:

www.act.is

Mainstream Renewable Power – Ireland

Website

:

www.mainstreamrp.com

New launch for E-marine

The CS Maram during dock trials in Abu Dhabi

Addressing the power balance in Africa