How deep is deep enough? – Anchor penetration tests in the German Bight to optimise burial depth for subsea power cables

»How deep does an anchor penetrate the sea-floor?« This question has been examined by a team of scientists and technicians in Germany. The motivation for this largescale fieldwork was the use of sea cables for shore connections to offshore wind farms in the German Bight. The current regulations prescribe a burial depth of 3 m when sea cables cross shipping channels. The reason for this increase is to guard against the risk factors arising from anchor manoeuvres in emergency and disaster situations. Conversely, implementing a burial depth of 3 m is technically very ambitious as well as being very costintensive.

subsea power cable | grid connection | anchor penetration test | hydrographic survey | German Bight