Van Oord Places Contract with SMD for High Power Trenching Machine

Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd (SMD) are pleased to announce the signature of a contract with Van Oord for the manufacture and delivery of a QTrencher 1600. This contract follows the successful deployment of SMD’s QTrencher 1400 on Van Oord’s Gemini Wind Farm.



Scheduled for delivery in Q1 2018, the high power trenching machine will be supplied with an SMD designed umbilical winch, along with jetting and mechanical cutting tools to tackle a wide range of seabed conditions. Additional functionality includes beach operation to offer cable installation for export and inter array campaigns.

The equipment will be loaded directly onto Van Oord’s state of the art cable-laying vessel Nexus from SMD’s Turbinia Works in Wallsend, UK. The QTrencher 1600 is scheduled to be deployed from the Nexus onto various wind farm projects in 2018.

"Van Oord have been using QTrencher 1400 on their Gemini installation campaign so already have good experience with our technology. It’s a strong endorsement of our quality and performance in the field to be able to supply direct to a contractor like Van Oord” remarked Paul Davison, Managing Director of SMD Trenching, Mining and Renewables. “With the continuing demand to lower LCOE and obligations to get it right first time, the market is demanding better performance. Our technology is well placed. We look forward to working with Van Oord, ensuring the trencher has a smooth entry into service."

Van Oord commented “We have chosen SMD for a very good working experience with one of their machines and their vast track record of the subsea trenching machines”.

The QTrencher 1600 is the next generation of the QTrencher 1400 model, and the power available to the trenching tools has been optimised for offshore wind applications in shallow water. With 45 years of experience in the subsea trenching industry, SMD have developed a wide range of QTrencher vehicles from 400 to 2800 horse power. The QTrencher’s adaptability allows for application across many markets, from telecoms, through to power cables and oil & gas construction.

Read more about the QTrencher range here: http://www.smd.co.uk/product-category/qtrenchers/
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SMD Services will be providing a comprehensive service support package for Van Oord. This will include training of technical and operations staff on the vessel during the equipment’s first year of deployment. A package of maintenance and strategic spares will also be supplied. SMD Services is set up with the aim of ensuring that customers enjoy optimised asset performance, demonstrated through proactive, 24/7 technical support.

Location: UK