Guernsey Electricity’s project to pre-emptively repair the undersea cable linking Guernsey and Jersey (GJ1) is underway and running according to schedule.

The repair, on a section of cable some 500 metres from Les Terres Point, is scheduled to take around three to four weeks, finishing in mid to late February.

According to the company, progress has been quick. The cable has already been successfully cut at the location of the fault by a remote-control submersible. Engineers then lifted the first cut end onto the cable ship and it has been ‘jointed’ to the new section of cable. This end was then carefully placed back on the seabed.

Cable-laying vessel Ndurance will be used for the ops of jointing the other cut end of the cable. Dutch subsea power cable specialists VBMS have been contracted to carry out the operations. Once the cable is successfully reconnected a comprehensive testing process will be carried out before the cable is brought back into service.

Corporate strategy director for Guernsey Electricity, Sally-Ann David, said: “Repairing the cable is our number-one priority at the moment so we are very pleased with the progress so far and are impressed with the professionalism of the contractors and the efforts of our own team to get the cable back in full working order for the benefit of our customers.”