Keeping Canals, Ports and Waterways Clear for Safe Passage

The shipping industry is only as good as the canals and waterways that allow cargo ships to pass through them and the ports where ships can load and unload valuable cargo. This was never more apparent than when the Suez Canal was blocked in early 2021 costing the world billions of dollars in trade each day this vital passageway was blocked.

Navigating deep oceans is much easier than traversing narrow waterways or shallow ports that can change by the minute as the water carries silt and other debris in the direction of the currents. To ensure that sea floors and banks stay at the proper depths and widths, dredging companies employ fleets of vessels to dredge seabeds to make waterways deeper to aid in navigation and prevent ships from running aground and becoming stuck. Additionally, removing sediment from the sea floor replenishes beaches by creating new habitats and recreation spaces. The added shorelines also enhance coastal protection from storms, such as hurricanes.

HELUKABEL initially started its development of the cabling system design with the underwater pump and cutter motors power section. “One of the biggest challenges in building the General MacArthur was finding the appropriate submersible cable for the high ampacity demand from these motors,” describes Stanley Hamidjaja, Automation Manager at Callan Marine. The cables run through a structural arm (the ladder) that submerges both of the motors. It was not possible to achieve the necessary capacity using a single cable for each phase.

“The team at HELUKABEL was very involved for over a year in submitting and resubmitting their proposal until they provided the cable specification and quality to our satisfaction,” Hamidjaja remembers. Working with Callan Marine’s engineering team, HELUKABEL was able to provide eight AWG4/0 cables per phase, which equated to 32 cables total being used to provide the necessary power. These cables had submersible ratings up to 10 bars of pressure and the necessary American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) approval that is required for cables to be used on ships and offshore structures.

Callan Marine is extremely satisfied with HELUKABEL's support. “The General MacArthur is a game-changer vessel in the dredging industry and we are proud to have HELUKABEL as a valued partner in providing quality, dependable cable,” explains Stanley Hamidjaja. “We appreciate the close cooperation in providing us with the appropriate solutions required by this challenging application.” Other products that were needed to complete dredging-related tasks aboard the cutter included various sizes of nickel-plated cable glands suitable to withstand up to 10 bars of pressure along with some category 7 data cables that had Lloyd’s Register marine and offshore approvals.

After the General MacArthur came out of dock, it was sent off to the Gulf Coast for its first assignment to keep the vital shipping lanes near Texas clear for the continued safe passage of marine vessels.