Aberdeen-based Canyon Offshore has been awarded a contract for the provision of offshore cable trenching services on the North Sea Link Interconnector.

The 1.400MW subsea HVDC system with cables linking the UK and Norway when complete will be the world’s longest submarine interconnector.

The multi-million pound subcontract was awarded by Prysmian PowerLink, who are manufacturing and installing the two parallel HVDC cables for National Grid and Statnett between Blyth in England and Kvilldal in Norway.

Estimated to cost €1.5-2 billion, North Sea Link is the first interconnector between the UK and Norway.

Canyon Offshore’s award will require the trenching of approximately 900km of the two interconnector HVDC cables which will have been laid onto the seabed by Prysmian. Management of the operations, which will be performed over four annual campaigns starting in 2018, will be provided from Canyon Offshore’s Aberdeen base.

Canyon Offshore director for commercial & sales, Euan Roberts, said: “We have successfully trenched hundreds of kilometres of interconnector cables around Europe in recent years, building upon our already established and successful oil and gas trenching market. This is our first contract with Prysmian and we are proud to have been selected for such a prestigious and historical project.”

Prysmian project director for the North Sea Link Interconnector, Carol Webb, said: “Prysmian are pleased to welcome the Canyon Offshore team to this ground-breaking project, and look forward to working together to safely and successfully deliver the project over the next few years.”