Delivery Brought Forward For The QTrencher 1000

Following successful completion of factory acceptance testing, we are delighted to announce the delivery of a QTrencher 1000 ROV to long standing customer KT Submarine. The relationship between SMD and KT Submarine began in 1998, with the supply of a standard cable plough, followed by the supply of a latest generation MD3XT 500kW, jetting assisted telecoms cable plough in 2012.



The combination of the MD3XT and QTrencher 1000 illustrates a significant investment for KT Submarine as they continue to expand and become a key player in the submarine telecommunications and power cable markets.

At the customer’s request, delivery of the trenching system was brought forward by one month to coincide with the early completion of the refurbishment of KT Submarine’s cable ship, Responder. The whole system including associated control, LARS and spares package was then loaded directly onto the newly refurbished vessel at A&P Tyne, which is located directly across the river from our trenching production facility. SMD staff will then work with KT Submarine at their Korean base to mobilise the trenching system on board M/V Miraero, the multi-purpose vessel that will be mainly engaged in post lay inspection and burial (PLIB) works on telecom cables, power cables and smaller O&G pipes.

The QTrencher 1000 already has a proven presence in the trenching market with two of these vehicles already delivered and in service. Positive client feedback indicates the vehicle is the first choice for post lay burial and protection of power cables.

The 2000m rated ROV embraces the latest technologies in jet trenching and ROV design with 1000hp of total installed power and up to 940hp of variable jetting power. The vehicle has been supplied with new launch and recovery equipment including telescopic docking head which will be integrated with an existing A-Frame, and a fast response winch and umbilical cable protection system.

The QTrencher 1000 is capable of trenching rigid products, power cables and telecommunication cables up to three metres in the seabed. This will enhance and improve KT Submarines’ cable maintenance capability in this competitive market and allow it to enter the post lay power cable and rigid product installation markets with its ability to handle up to 500mm product (and upgrade options for 800mm product).

Paul Davison, MD of our Trenching, Mining and Renewables division is delighted to be supplying KT Submarine again: “KT Submarine is an excellent client to work with and we are delighted to support their operations and market growth. Their success with the latest generation cable plough has shown how innovation can be used to improve performance. We look forward to a similar transformation when the 1000hp jet trenching machine operates in Asian markets.”

WD Jung, MD at KT Submarine commented: “The new QTrencher 1000 system has been bought based on reliable support given on operation of our current SMD systems, as well as the QTrencher 1000 system’s track record. This new tool will allow KT Submarine to expand its capability on subsea trenching market, substantially.”

Location: Newcastle upon Tyne,UK