FORESHORE LICENCE APPLICATION FS006889

Project Report

Contents

1.0 INTRODUCTION

PART I – THE CABLE ROUTE

2.0 CABLE ROUTE IN IRISH WATERS

3.0 MARINE SURVEY REPORTS

4.0 NAVIGATIONAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

5.0 ROUTE POSITION LIST

PART II – CABLE INSTALLATION

6.0 THE CABLE

7.0 INSTALLATION

Appendices

Appendix 1 Drawings

Appendix 2 Cable route considerations

Project Report November 2020 America Connect 2

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Planned Cable

1.1 America Europe Connect 2 is a subsea fibre optic telecommunication cable system which runs for approximately 7,866 kilometres (km) across the Atlantic seabed from New Jersey in the USA to Denmark, with a branch into Norway and a proposed branch into (Figure 1).

Figure 1. America Europe Connect 2 Transatlantic Cable Route

1.2 The overall project (of which the Irish Branch is referred to as the AEC2Cable ) specific location points on it are as follows;

➢ US Landfall ▪ Avon-by-the Sea, New Jersey ➢ Branching Unit for Ireland ▪ Rockall Trough 287kms off the northwest coast of Ireland ➢ Irish Landfall ▪ Fallduff Strand, Old Head, Co, Mayo ➢ Norwegian Landfall ▪ Kristiansand, Norway ➢ Danish Landfall ▪ Nymindegab South, Rinkøbing, Denmark

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

This Project Report refers to the Irish branch of the system which is landing at Fallduff Strand, Old Head, near Louisburgh, (“AEC2 Cable”). . 1.3 As of 1st November 2020, cable landings associated with the cable system have already been carried out in USA, Denmark and Norway. 7,716 km or 98.1% of the cable route has already been installed and is operational. 140 km of the Irish branch has also already been installed. This remaining uninstalled 150 km of the Irish branch accounts for 1.9% of the overall system.

1.4 The Applicant (which is a subsidiary of Aqua Comms Dac) is a provider of bandwidth infrastructure services including dark fibre, wavelengths and ethernet whose subsea fibre optic networks are designed to meet the needs of content providers, cloud-based networks, data centres, IT companies and the global media. The company specialises in sub-sea telecoms and owns and operates the AEConnect- 1 TransAtlantic cable ( to New York) and CeltixConnect-1 (which runs from Dublin to Anglesey in the UK).

1.5 The proposed cable will directly contribute to strengthening Ireland’s international connectivity and telecommunications network as required to support Ireland’s growing population demand. Once operational, the AEC 2 cable will provide high speed capacity between Ireland, the US and Mainland Europe. This will be the first subsea fibre optic telecommunication cable that will connect Ireland directly with Mainland Europe (important in post Brexit era) and the second cable to connect Ireland directly with the US. This will provide significant increased transatlantic and European capacity for Ireland. It will also increase resilience for Ireland’s internet connectivity. The AEC 2 Cable will have the capability to increase national bandwidth by up to 200Tb.

This proposed development was issued a Foreshore Licence (FS006889) by the Minister for State, Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government on 6th February 2020. This licence authorised AEC2 to install a sub-sea fibre optic telecommunication cable on the Foreshore off Old Head Louisburg, Co. Mayo and travelling along a pre-defined route to a point at the Irish Territorial Sea Boundary. The licence was quashed further to the institution of Judicial review proceedings and the matter remitted to the Minister for reconsideration on certain terms. This Project Report is being submitted as part of the remitted application process

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

1.6 Included with the remitted Foreshore Licence Application is a Non-Statutory Environmental Report, with associated appendices including;

• Cable Characteristics, • Vessel, Equipment and Material Resources List, • Marine Survey Report, • Marine Archaeological Assessment Reports.

Also included with the remitted Foreshore Licence Application are an Appropriate Assessment Screening Report and Natura Impact Statement, as well as an Environmental Impact Assessment Screening Report.

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

Part 1

The Cable Route

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

2.0 CABLE ROUTE IN IRISH WATERS

Landfall - General Location

2.1 The planned cable route has a landfall at Fallduff Strand, Old Head (Figure 2) on the southern side of . It is 3.3km east of Louisburgh and 20km west of Westport.

Figure 2. Landfall Location

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

Landfall - Detailed Location

2.2 The detailed location of the cable landing is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Old Head Landfall

2.3 On 4th February 2019, under Planning Reference No. 18/833, Mayo County Council granted planning permission for the construction of a single storey cable landing station, with associated fencing, underground cabling, plant and ancillary works, including Beach Manhole, at Old Head, Louisburg, Co. Mayo. The cable landing station and all associated infrastructure was constructed in 2019. The Beach Manhole is located in the grass strip between the coastline and the road (Figure 3) to the east of the access path to the beach. The Beach Manhole is above the High-Water Line.

2.4 The routing of the cable on the beach is designed to keep clear of the listed Possible Wreck Site – 11423. The route then proceeds seaward in accordance with the Route Position List as presented in Table 1.

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

KEY TURNING POINTS (TO WGS-84)

Chainage Turning Point Latitude Longitude (km) TP 0 (BMH) 0 53 46.5870N 009 46.2460W

TP 5 1.233 53 47.1225N 009 45.6297W

TP 10 2.536 53 47.7698N 009 45.6457W

TP 15 5.081 53 48.3360N 009 47.7005W

TP 20 21.188 53 51.1164N 010 01.5384W

TP 30 27.465 53 51.7902N 010 07.0811W

TP 40 36.919 53 54.4348N 010 14.3618W

TP 75 57.597 53 59.9583N 010 30.3021W

TP 99 (Exit Ireland TS) 72.842 54 04.7693N 010 41.3194W

Table 1: Route Position List

2.5 The location of the route corridor and the landfall at Fallduff Strand, Old Head is shown on the 6” to 1-mile Ordnance Survey map and the 1/2,500 Ordnance Survey map in Figures 4 & 5 respectively.

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

Figure 4. Landfall Location on 6” Ordnance Survey Map (scale 1:2500)

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

Figure 5. Landfall Location on Ordnance Survey Map (scale1/10560)

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

Inshore

2.6 The Inshore Route is shown in Figure 6 on an Admiralty Chart base. The start of the route is designated as Kilometre Point 00 (BMH). It is also Turning Point 00 (TP00) which is at the high water line and it marks the land-sea interface at Fallduff Strand, Old Head.

Figure 6. Inshore Route

2.7 The figure shows the route heading slightly east of north to keep clear of the headland of Old Head. It crosses the 10-metre water depth contour at approximately Kp 01 between TP04 and TP05.

2.8 At TP6 the route starts turning to the north and then to the northwest to complete an arc at TP13. At that point the route heads in a north-westerly direction on a heading of 289⁰ towards the channel between and .

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

Clew Bay

2.9 The route lies within Clew Bay over a distance of approximately 25 kilometres (Figure 7).

2.10 At the early stage of the project consideration was given to alternative routes. A full description of these considerations is provided in Appendix 2

Figure 7. Figure 10 – Route in Clew Bay

2.11 On leaving Old Head and taking up a north-westerly course at Kp 3.573 the route continues on that general heading (approximately 289⁰). The route is designed to avail of optimum sea-bed conditions, to avoid areas which could be problematic from the point of view of cable installation and to have regard for environmental and underwater archaeological constraints.

2.12 At Kp 15 (adjacent to TP19) the route enters the channel between Clare Island and Achill Island. The channel is 3.75 kms wide at its narrowest point and water depth along the line of the cable route is largely constant at 25 metres.

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

Offshore Route

2.13 The Offshore Route in Irish waters extends from Kp 25, which lies to the south of Head on Achill Island, out to the 12-Mile Limit at approximately Kp 70. Water depth increases from 50 metres at Kp 25 to approximately 150 metres at the 12-Mile Limit.

2.14 The general heading of the route is 298⁰ from Kp 20 out to Kp 30. It swings to a heading of 282⁰. at Kp 30 and continues out to the 12-Mile boundary.

2.15 Beyond the 12-Mile Limit the route continues in a north-westerly direction and passes south of the Corrib Gas Field at an offset of approximately 7 kilometres at Kp 107.

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

3.0 MARINE SURVEY REPORT OF THE IRISH BRANCH

3.1 A Marine Survey Report has been prepared and is included as an Appendix to the Non-Statutory Environmental Report which accompanies this application. The marine survey covered a 500-metre-wide corridor out to the 1000m water depth and included;

• Bathymetry • Side Scan Sonar • Sub-Bottom Profiling • Magnetometer

3.2 The Inshore section included a Diver-Swim survey.

3.3 The associated site investigations included 3 Trial Pits and 19 bar probes on the beach at Fallduff Strand, Old Head. Offshore site investigations included a mixture of Core Penetration Tests (CPT’s) and Gravity Cores (GC’s).

3.4 A summary of the marine survey report is as follows;

The survey which is covered by this report covers the deep and shallow water sections. The water depths varied between 2845m at the Branching Unit in the Rockall Trough (BU1) to 25m at the inshore limit of the Shallow Water Survey near Old Head.

In general, the seabed along the deep-water section of this route is flat with gentle slopes of less than 1°. The exception to this is towards the Irish coastline, where gradients of up to 38° are encountered.

The route encompasses an essentially flat seabed with little or no features in deep water (greater than 1500m WD). Along the route there is a shallow seabed depression of up to 30m depth and over 10km length and the route runs along the NE periphery of it.

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

Towards the 1500m WD mark near the end of the deep-water section, there is an irregular upslope and irregular topography. The 1500m WD contour is reached on a uniform upslope.

From the offshore limit of the Shallow Water Survey, at 1500m the route crosses very steep slopes up to 20° over rocky scarps to the 570m WD contour. From here the route crosses a gently sloping sandy seabed overlying very soft to firm CLAY for much of the corridor. Further inshore the route crosses sub cropping glacial TILL with boulder fields and then crosses an extensive area of ROCK outcrop and subcrop with gradients up to 30°. At the nearshore end of the corridor the route crosses sandy seabed with very gentle gradients. Some localised outcrops of glacial TILL with associated boulder fields occur within the generally sandy seabed close to the inshore limit of the survey.

One shipwreck was observed in the survey corridor route at 54°04.4506’N, 10°40.8724’W (Kp 126.5) with dimensions of 23m x 8.5m x 0.6m and occurs 125m south-west of the route. This location is approximately 56km beyond the 12-Mile Limit and the water depth is 157.5 metres.

Two marine boundaries are crossed. They are the Exit Ireland EEZ/Enter Ireland CZ and the Exit Ireland CZ/Enter Ireland TS boundaries.

According to the SubCom cable database, two in service cables in the deep-water section are crossed by the route. They were not observed on the MBES data.

Significant activity was observed at the entrance to Clew Bay. Fishermen from Clare Island were not willing to move the gear for the period of survey operations. Several fishing gears were placed on the route and blocked survey operations with towed equipment. Some fishing gear was still observed in seaward of Clare Island but stopped in WD of more than 100m. There was no significant fishing activities further out during the time of operations. Low, far off shipping activities were also observed.

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

4.0 NAVIGATIONAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

Pipeline and Cable Crossings

4.1 There are no crossings of pipelines along the route.

4.2 There are no crossings of cables in Irish Waters. Two cables will be crossed in the deep-water section (greater than 1500m) beyond the Continental Shelf.

Hydrocarbon Licence Blocks

4.3 There is a substantial number of Hydrocarbon Licence Blocks off the west coast of Ireland. These are shown in Figure 8.

4.4 The proposed route lies to the south west of the Corrib Gas Field. It is 7km from the installation at its nearest point and will not impinge on the operations of the Gas Field.

Figure 8. Licence Blocks off the west and northwest of Ireland

4.5 The Licence Blocks traversed by the planned cable are as follows; • Predator Block • Europa Block .

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

4.6 A key point is that the footprint of the cable is only 36mm in width and has no significant impact on the Licence Blocks. In the case of the Europa licence block the route avoids a possible future drilling location and this has been agreed with the licence holder.

4.7 A route deviation was agreed with the Europa Block owners in advance of route survey in order to avoid a possible future drilling location.

Shipping

4.8 There are a number of commercial ports on the west coast of Ireland and in the context of the AEC2 Cable System the key centres are Port and Killybegs. The level of shipping traffic through these ports is not significant in terms of volume and intensity of shipping. This was confirmed in course of the marine survey when shipping movements were noted to be low and far out to sea.

Figure 9. Shipping Intensity

Fishing

4.9 There are major fishing ports at Rossaveal and Killybegs together with a number of local harbours from Keen in Achill to to the east of Head

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

4.10 The fishing activity off the west coast of Ireland can be seen in Figure 13. The fishing intensity in the offshore section is relatively low and cable installation will have no significant impact on this whether in the course of cable lay, which is a transient activity, or when the cable is installed in the sea-bed.

4.11 Significant fishing activity was observed closer inshore and particularly at the entrance to Clew Bay during the course of the Marine Survey. The observed pattern was that fishing activity was mainly from there out to the 100-metre water depth at Kp 54.855. Liaison with fisheries interest is required during cable installation but, once installed, the cable will have no impact on the marine environment or on fishing activity.

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

Figure 10. Fishing Activities along the West Coast of Ireland

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

5.0 ROUTE POSITION LIST

5.1 The Route Position List from the Landfall at Fallduff Strand, Old Head out to the 12-Mile Limit is presented in Table 1 in Section 3 of this document, and the overall Route Position List for the Irish Branch is presented below in Table 2.

Position (WGS-84) Route Distance

Pos Total Latitude Longitude Heading No. (km) 53 009 0 0.000 46.5870N 46.2460W 71.342 53 009 0.000 46.5870N 46.2460W 71.342 53 009 1 0.075 46.6000N 46.1810W 65.763 53 009 2 0.130 46.6120N 46.1360W 46.191 53 009 3 0.197 46.6370N 46.0920W 20.542 53 009 4 0.244 46.6610N 46.0768W 20.542 53 009 5 0.391 46.7350N 46.0300W 31.462 53 009 6 0.689 46.8722N 45.8883W 31.462 53 009 7 0.822 46.9332N 45.8253W 31.462 53 009 8 1.023 47.0258N 45.7296W 31.462 53 009 9 1.233 47.1225N 45.6297W 25.768 53 009 10 1.516 47.2599N 45.5177W 25.768 53 009 11 1.587 47.2942N 45.4897W 25.768 53 009 12 1.651 47.3251N 45.4645W 12.832 53 009 13 1.841 47.4252N 45.4260W 357.096 53 009 14 1.984 47.5019N 45.4326W 342.943 53 009 15 2.173 47.5997N 45.4833W 330.518 53 009 16 2.510 47.7578N 45.6343W 330.518 53 009 17 2.536 47.7698N 45.6457W 320.17

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

53 009 18 2.851 47.9004N 45.8296W 306.392 53 009 19 3.197 48.0110N 46.0831W 298.56 53 009 20 3.568 48.1065N 46.3797W 289.215 53 009 21 3.872 48.1606N 46.6416W 289.215 53 009 22 4.238 48.2255N 46.9561W 284.087 53 009 23 5.081 48.3360N 47.7005W 295.179 53 009 24 6.477 48.6563N 48.8515W 295.179 53 009 25 6.837 48.7388N 49.1480W 291.955 53 009 26 8.370 49.0477N 50.4431W 295.514 53 009 27 11.468 49.7670N 52.9903W 288.523 53 009 28 15.671 50.4868N 56.6224W 282.22 53 010 29 20.624 51.0519N 01.0353W 282.22 53 010 30 20.733 51.0644N 01.1329W 282.22 53 010 31 21.188 51.1164N 01.5384W 273.51 53 010 32 21.416 51.1239N 01.7460W 273.51 53 010 33 22.035 51.1443N 02.3093W 287.671 53 010 34 22.579 51.2332N 02.7812W 287.671 53 010 35 23.011 51.3040N 03.1570W 296.44 53 010 36 23.176 51.3436N 03.2918W 296.44 53 010 37 23.444 51.4079N 03.5104W 282.984 53 010 38 23.655 51.4334N 03.6978W 274.29 53 010 39 23.975 51.4463N 03.9892W 283.226 53 010 40 24.653 51.5299N 04.5910W 270.14 53 010 41 25.852 51.5315N 05.6841W 285.075 53 010 42 26.639 51.6419N 06.3773W 295.219 53 010 43 27.135 51.7558N 06.7863W 281.159

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

53 010 44 27.465 51.7902N 07.0811W 298.504 53 010 45 28.093 51.9518N 07.5848W 298.504 53 010 46 28.671 52.1006N 08.0481W 307.903 53 010 47 28.974 52.2008N 08.2660W 307.903 53 010 48 29.152 52.2597N 08.3941W 307.903 53 010 49 29.656 52.4268N 08.7572W 307.903 53 010 50 30.423 52.6807N 09.3091W 294.868 53 010 51 30.795 52.7652N 09.6174W 287.73 53 010 52 31.660 52.9072N 10.3692W 307.875 53 010 53 32.016 53.0249N 10.6253W 307.875 53 010 54 32.527 53.1941N 10.9935W 307.875 53 010 55 33.614 53.5538N 11.7764W 298.813 53 010 56 34.142 53.6909N 12.1986W 298.813 53 010 57 34.528 53.7913N 12.5075W 302.959 53 010 58 35.436 54.0576N 13.2029W 302.959 53 010 59 35.510 54.0793N 13.2595W 314.352 53 010 60 35.983 54.2574N 13.5681W 299.936 53 010 61 36.313 54.3460N 13.8287W 285.75 53 010 62 36.793 54.4163N 14.2508W 285.75 53 010 63 36.919 54.4348N 14.3618W 287.062 53 010 64 37.255 54.4879N 14.6549W 305.691 53 010 65 37.575 54.5885N 14.8921W 294.88 53 010 66 38.283 54.7492N 15.4788W 301.364 53 010 67 39.093 54.9765N 16.1104W 318.265 53 010 68 39.530 55.1523N 16.3761W 296.115 53 010 69 40.032 55.2714N 16.7876W 296.115

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

53 010 70 40.770 55.4463N 17.3922W 283.632 53 010 71 41.336 55.5183N 17.8950W 283.632 53 010 72 41.788 55.5757N 18.2964W 300.404 53 010 73 43.172 55.9533N 19.3868W 287.603 53 010 74 43.201 55.9580N 19.4116W 287.603 53 010 75 43.725 56.0435N 19.8683W 297.614 53 010 76 43.848 56.0742N 19.9679W 297.614 53 010 77 44.232 56.1702N 20.2787W 318.341 53 010 78 44.775 56.3887N 20.6083W 318.341 53 010 79 45.083 56.5128N 20.7953W 300.3 53 010 80 45.198 56.5441N 20.8861W 300.3 53 010 81 45.516 56.6305N 21.1366W 292.346 53 010 82 46.252 56.7813N 21.7586W 292.346 53 010 83 46.919 56.9180N 22.3226W 292.346 53 010 84 47.357 57.0078N 22.6926W 295.607 53 010 85 48.222 57.2094N 23.4057W 307.493 53 010 86 48.701 57.3664N 23.7528W 307.493 53 010 87 48.822 57.4063N 23.8410W 299.52 53 010 88 48.956 57.4417N 23.9471W 299.52 53 010 89 49.225 57.5134N 24.1617W 293.806 53 010 90 49.748 57.6271N 24.5988W 304.37 53 010 91 50.343 57.8081N 25.0474W 317.236 53 010 92 50.763 57.9746N 25.3086W 310.662 53 010 93 51.075 58.0840N 25.5246W 295.861 53 010 94 51.369 58.1531N 25.7664W 280.814 53 010 95 51.735 58.1901N 26.0950W 296.17

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

53 010 96 52.062 58.2679N 26.3635W 310.944 53 010 97 52.354 58.3713N 26.5657W 314.471 53 010 98 52.586 58.4589N 26.7170W 299.492 53 010 99 53.409 58.6771N 27.3714W 309.675 53 010 100 54.223 58.9573N 27.9446W 296.19 53 010 101 54.944 59.1288N 28.5360W 282.867 53 010 102 55.299 59.1714N 28.8526W 273.302 53 010 103 55.573 59.1799N 29.1033W 292.237 53 010 104 55.860 59.2385N 29.3462W 292.237 53 010 105 55.917 59.2500N 29.3942W 307.657 53 010 106 56.403 59.4100N 29.7461W 322.193 53 010 107 56.790 59.5748N 29.9631W 337.194 53 010 108 57.329 59.8428N 30.1543W 322.98 53 010 109 57.597 59.9583N 30.3021W 300.727 54 010 110 57.889 00.0388N 30.5319W 288.319 54 010 111 58.163 00.0852N 30.7698W 300.203 54 010 112 58.435 00.1590N 30.9851W 315.322 54 010 113 58.722 00.2689N 31.1695W 330.408 54 010 114 58.968 00.3843N 31.2808W 315.498 54 010 115 58.991 00.3929N 31.2952W 315.498 54 010 116 59.185 00.4675N 31.4196W 315.498 54 010 117 59.254 00.4941N 31.4640W 305.985 54 010 118 59.777 00.6598N 31.8513W 301.692 54 010 119 60.322 00.8141N 32.2756W 308.35 54 010 120 61.287 01.1368N 32.9682W 283.742 54 010 121 61.740 01.1949N 33.3718W 273.814

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

54 010 122 62.029 01.2053N 33.6355W 273.814 54 010 123 62.063 01.2065N 33.6667W 288.297 54 010 124 62.356 01.2560N 33.9212W 304.868 54 010 125 62.688 01.3582N 34.1702W 307.576 54 010 126 63.485 01.6203N 34.7488W 320.826 54 010 127 63.852 01.7736N 34.9609W 329.199 54 010 128 64.808 02.2163N 35.4093W 307.755 54 010 129 66.353 02.7262N 36.5278W 299.67 54 010 130 66.649 02.8052N 36.7634W 312.58 54 010 131 67.322 03.0507N 37.2175W 306.001 54 010 132 68.735 03.4984N 38.2648W 293.931 54 010 133 69.194 03.5988N 38.6494W 306.211 54 010 134 70.444 03.9968N 39.5734W 315.556 54 010 135 71.083 04.2426N 39.9832W 300.586 54 010 71.261 04.2915N 40.1240W 300.586 54 010 71.760 04.4283N 40.5175W 300.586 54 010 136 72.178 04.5431N 40.8478W 309.2 54 010 137 72.842 04.7693N 41.3194W 309.2 54 010 138 78.218 06.6008N 45.1397W 309.2 54 010 139 78.228 06.6044N 45.1472W 309.2 54 010 140 78.324 06.6369N 45.2151W 302.295 54 010 141 79.462 06.9646N 46.0974W 295.775 54 010 142 80.029 07.0977N 46.5666W 310.344 54 010 143 80.792 07.3639N 47.1002W 300.871 54 010 144 81.533 07.5687N 47.6835W 292.293 54 010 145 82.132 07.6912N 48.1923W 307.365

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

54 010 146 82.929 07.9519N 48.7735W 307.365 54 010 147 84.804 08.5655N 50.1419W 321.853 54 010 148 85.879 09.0210N 50.7513W 308.848 54 010 149 87.380 09.5284N 51.8248W 312.368 54 010 150 88.673 09.9981N 52.7023W 303.345 54 010 151 91.091 10.7146N 54.5584W 298.451 54 010 152 92.300 11.0250N 55.5349W 311.532 54 010 153 93.064 11.2982N 56.0608W 316.711 54 010 154 93.933 11.6394N 56.6088W 304.93 54 010 155 95.927 12.2547N 58.1114W 295.408 54 010 156 96.321 12.3458N 58.4387W 295.408 54 010 157 96.778 12.4516N 58.8185W 310.408 54 010 158 97.017 12.5349N 58.9856W 310.408

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

Part II

Cable Installation

Project Report November 2020 America Europe Connect 2

6.0 THE CABLE

Type of Cable

6.1 SubCom SL17 Double Armour (DA) and SL17 Lightweight (LW) Cable will be used in Irish waters. Subcom’s SL cable is an industry standard core cable which is utilized in all present Subcom fibre optic telecommunications cable systems throughout the world. Information such as high-speed data and voice is transmitted via lightwave through the optical fibres contained within the central Unit Fibre Structure (UFS). A cut- away section of the Double Armour Cable is shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11. Cut-Away Section of Double Armour Cable

6.2 The UFS is the innermost element of the cable and consists of optical fibres embedded in a buffer gel material inside a Polybutylene Terephthalate plastic tube. The buffer gel is a thixotropic material that protects the optical fibres from shear stresses associated with movement inside the tube. Ultra-high strength steel wires are helically wrapped around the UFS and together they act as a pressure vessel that protects the UFS from stresses up to and in excess of 100 MPa. The interstices between the steel wires are filled with a hydrophobic elastomeric water-blocking material which resists longitudinal water ingress. The SL design includes a conductor to carry both system power and the cable monitoring and maintenance signal. The

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power conductor is constructed by seam welding a copper tape around the high- strength wires. A thin layer of ethylene-acrylic and copolymer plastic resin and a thick layer of polyethylene insulating jacket are coextruded over the copper sheath. The polyethylene jacket provides high-voltage insulation, abrasion resistance and corrosion protection.

6.3 The double armour cable has two armor wire layers applied over the standard lightweight cable. The finished DA Cable has an outer diameter of 35.9mm. Detailed data on the cable is presented in Table 3.

Parameter Nominal Value Nominal Permanent Tensile Strength 160 kN Nominal Operating Tensile Strength 280 kN Nominal Transient Tensile Strength 395 kN Fiber and Cable Breaking Load (UTS) 605 kN Weight in Air 38 kN/km Weight in Water 29 kN/km Outer Diameter 36 mm Minimum Bending Radius 910 mm (storage or tensions < 9 kN) 1,500 mm (for tensions ≥ 9 kN) Stowage Factor 1.35 m3 per km Hydrodynamic Constant 99 degree-knots (lay) 111 degree-knots (recovery) Cable Modulus 21 km Table 3 – Details of Double Armour Cable

Repeaters

6.4 The trans-Atlantic cable will have Repeaters approximately 93km apart. These are “Optical Amplifiers” whose primary purpose is to boost the optical signal along the route. The copper conductors inside the cable power these Repeaters. There are no Repeaters within the 12-mile limit.

System Power

6.5 The system power in the cable is rated for 15,000 volts and the estimated maximum operational voltage is 1,301 volts in Ireland under normal conditions, and up to 5000 volts under fault conditions. The system line current is 0.949 amps. The operational wattage of the AEC2 cable will be close to 1200 watts. This is the same wattage as a domestic hairdryer. 7.0 INSTALLATION

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7.1 The installation phase of the project comprises the following components. 1. Pre-lay grapnel run immediately prior to cable installation to clear the seabed of any surface debris such as wire, discarded fishing gear, etc. that may have deposited along the cable route (Duration of 1 Day); 2. Direct Landing – Deployment and laying of the cable from the cable vessel at 12m water depth to Fallduff Strand, Old Head. It will be undertaken using marine based divers and small boats (Duration of 1 Day); 3. Beach Works – Excavation of beach trench from Low Water Mark at Fallduff Strand, Old Head to existing conduit at Beach boundary wall (Pl. Ref. 18/833). This excavation will be undertaken by land excavator (Duration of 6-10 Days) 4. Shallow Water Works – Water jetting of landed cable into the seafloor from 12m water depth to Low Water Mark at Fallduff Strand, Old Head. This work will be undertaken using a marine based jetting sled (Duration of 2-3 Days); 5. Main lay – Plough installation of cable into the seafloor from an area adjacent to the offshore cable spur in to 12m water depth, approximately 1.2 km offshore from Fallduff Strand, Old Head (Duration of up to 8 Days). 6. Post Lay inspection and burial - In areas where burial was not achieved, the ROV can use the jetting tool to attempt additional cable burial (Duration 2-6 days). A detailed description of each component can be found in chapter 3 of the accompanying Non-Statutory Environmental Report.

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APPENDIX 1

DRAWINGS

1318-101 FORESHORE LICENCE MAP 1 OVERALL ROUTE

1318-102 FORESHORE LICENCE MAP 2 INSHORE SECTION

1318-103 FORESHORE LICENCE MAP 3 OFFSHORE SECTION

1318-104 SITE LOCATION MAP

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APPENDIX 2 – CONSIDERAITON OF ALTERNATIVE CABLE ROUTES: Introduction Designing the route of any subsea telecoms cable route is a long and extensive process. It entails consideration of many internal and external factors all of which serve to act as markers or constraints to a selected route. The proposed AEC2 cable route was designed after such an extensive and detailed staged process. Desktop Study The first step of subsea cable route design is the completion of a desktop study. For AEC2, the study investigated the environmental and human factors that may pose a hazard and/or risk to the lifespan of the cable system, marine survey and installation operations. It covered these under the following headings: • 1. INTRODUCTION • 2. ROUTE DESCRIPTION • 3. LANDING SITES • 4. GEOLOGY • 5. METEOROLOGY • 6. OCEANOGRAPHY • 7. HAZARDS & RESTRICTIONS • 8. FISHERIES • 9. PERMITS • 10. CABLE ENGINEERING Route and Landing Options Once completed, the next step was the identification of a number of route and /or landing options. The desktop study provided the route engineers with a broad understanding of possible routing and landing options as well as routing constraints. The engineers then set about designing a number of route options. These route options considered the findings of the desktop study. Identification of Preferred Route Once a number of route options have been identified, the next step was for the route engineers to work in conjunction with the project proponents to identify a preferred route. This work was carried out at a route working group meeting using all the above mentioned data as well as any other available route specific data, to design the preferred cable route. Although the route working group identified a preferred route, it still required ground truthing.

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Cable Route Survey Ground truthing of the preferred route was achieved through Cable Route Survey. It was designed to survey a 500m wide corridor of seafloor based on the centreline of the cable route. The aim of the Cable route survey was to identify all physical impediments (geological, environmental and archaeological) to the selected cable route option. The completed cable route survey then provided the cable engineers with the required information to enable them to design a safe and secure cable installation route. Wider geographic alternatives to the current route, were also considered and these are detailed below.

Description of initial cable route options At the early stage of the project inception, consideration was given to a number of different installation route options. One of these was the area to the south of Clare Island, between Roonagh Head and Clare Island. This option was quickly discounted as a possible route owing to the following constraints: 1. Insufficient water depth 2. Less favourable seabed 3. Designation of the area as a Special Area of Conservation 4. Present of an existing cable 5. Traverse of ferry route 1. Water depths in this southern channel are recorded as being between 5 and 11m. These shallow water depths meant that this route was unsuitable for cable installation as the depths were too shallow to allow operations of the cable installation vessel. 2. Navigation charts for this possible southern route also indicated that the area is composed predominantly of rock. This is in contrast with the northern channel where charts note a more favourable sandy seafloor. 3. The entire area of this southern channel between Clare Island and Roonagh Head is designated as a Special Area of Conservation. This designation could lead to difficulties in relation to permitting and installation. 4. Although not a significant issue, the passage of any cable through this southern channel would require crossing of the in-situ power cable. Cable crossings are routine operations during subsea cable installations; however, it is preferential to avoid is possible.

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5. Similarly, it is not a significant issue, but the passage of the cable through this southern channel would require crossing of the ferry routes. Crossings of ferry routes are routine operations during subsea cable installations; however, it is preferential to avoid where possible.

Figure 12. Area to the south of Clare Island (SAC in peach)

Similarly, alternative cable routes to landings at , , Carrownisky and Old Head were considered. When assessed using the already discussed protocols, all were considered less advantageous to the current Fallduff Strand, Old Head landing.

Description of localised cable routing Consideration was given to micro routeing the cable to the north and south of the current route. Public seafloor survey data indicated that the seabed both to the north and the south of the current route was similarly rocky. These localised northern and southern route options were discounted based on a number of criteria including: • No environmental advantage accrued for each route • Similar subsea conditions – no benefit to each route • Similar fishing conditions - no benefit to each route • Northern and southern alternatives have longer cable distances, so they require occupancy of greater area of seafloor – current route is the preferred.

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Below is an explanation of the decision criteria.

Cable Burial – Publicly available and cable route survey information indicated that the seabed to the north of the current cable route is composed of exposed bedrock. The installation of a cable in the area to the north of the current route would not likely provide significant additional cable burial potential.

Figure 13. Figure 4 Publicly available seafloor bathymetry data

The cable route survey data for the area in question did not indicate the presence of more favourable cable burial terrain to the south of the current route within the survey swath. The survey did not carry out work outside the permitted 500m wide corridor. As a result, there is no detailed survey data for the wider area to south As there is no detailed survey data for the wider area to south, the only reliable seafloor information is contained on the British Admiralty (BA) Chart (Figure 3). An extract of the BA is contained below. It identifies that the current route and the areas to the north and south all comprise of rock, also indicating a low probability of finding an alternate route.

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Figure 14. Extract from British Admiralty Chart with all rock locations marked by black circle

Currents – Tidal current data sourced from the Marine Institute indicated that seabed currents in the area to the north of the current cable route are not greater than those noted in along the current cable route (See Ocean Current Analysis Details section). The data indicates that currents do not exceed 0.6m/second. As a result, no greater or lesser stresses will be experienced by the cable either along the current route or that to the North.

Abrasion – The current cable route has been designed to minimise cable free span and abrasion. Alignment of the cable route to the north of the current route will mean that the route will have to pass across a similarly rocks area, with a very thin sediment veneer. As a result, an alternative route to the north of the current route will not likely provide more favourable burial conditions and reduced abrasion potential.

Fishing – Analysis of fisheries data indicates that there is low level and light gear commercial fishing carried out in the rocky area, along the cable route and in the areas to the north and south. Fixed gear fishing is the only form of fishing activity carried out in the rocky area of the current route. This is in the form of Lobster and crab potting. Demersal fisheries activities are not practiced in this area. Most of this fishing activity is carried out by small inshore fishing vessels. These vessels are not fitted with Automatic Identifying Systems, so records of fishing activity rely on local information and fisheries liaison efforts. As detailed on Figure 4, 5 & 6, more intensive commercial fishing is carried out in the interior of Clew Bay and further west of the rocky area. Cable burial in these areas is

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sufficiently deep in these two areas to minimise risk to cable security. Local static gear fishermen had expressed concerns that the cable installation may limit their fishing of the area and that if they become snagged on the cable, they will be held liable for cable damages. AEC2 have addressed these concerns with a snag procedure and compensation protocol.

Figure 15. Fishing Intensity at Clew Bay, [Source: Ireland Maritime Institute], >12m fishing activity in Clew Bay. Grey and white shading shows the fishing intensity. Red and green colors show bathymetry.

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Figure 16. Global Fishing Watch Data (white dots) show in areas where the cable is well buried. Burial assessment categories shown as reference.

Figure 17. AIS tracks showing fishing by St Catherine. Michael O’Gorman of Achill. Note fished area north east of Clare Island where good burial is predicted.

Technology – Technologically, it is possible to install the cable along each route. As a result, technology was not an influencing factor.

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Permitting – Permitting of each option is possible, as a result, permitting was not an influencing factor.

Seafloor Occupancy - A realignment of the cable route to the north or south of the current route would result in a larger area of seafloor being occupied. This is exclusively a direct result of the longer route distance. Given that it occupies a smaller area of seafloor, the central option was the preferred option

Environmental Impact – A realignment of the cable route to the north or the south of the current route would not result in any significant environmental changes. The full Natura Impact Assessment and Non-Statutory Environmental Report are available for review during the public consultation process

Cable security alternatives The potential for cable movement was a factor that was considered during the route selection process. It was acknowledged that all available information indicated that the seabed along the route was one which was not subject to excessive seabed currents (See Ocean Current Analysis Details section). Similarly, the weight of the small diameter cable (4cm diameter) and the fact that it would be installed under tension means that once installed, the cable will not move significantly. Fluid Physics has clearly identified that the depth of impact of wave motion is dependent on the wavelength. For waves to have an impact on the seafloor at the subject site, they would need to have a wavelength of 80 meters. No such waves have ever been recorded in Ireland.

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Figure 18. influence of wave orbital velocity as a function of depth, on the seabed

It is possible that the installed cable may be subject to localised settling movement. This will be in the order of 1-2m during the lifespan of the cable. Cable weight, lay tension and lack of seafloor currents means that cable movement in the order of 10’s or 100’s of metres will not be possible. Notwithstanding, there is a requirement for cable security during the operational lifespan of the project. This is an aspect that has been considered in detail during the project inception phase. The current cable installation and operation methodology has been designed to ensure optimum cable security. In areas where cable burial is not possible, alternative solutions were considered. These alternatives included rock installation, cable pinning and Post lay installation burial. Each technique was considered using various criteria such as: • Water depth, • Cable type, • Receiving environment, • Seabed conditions, • Potential environmental impact, • Actual risk and • Suitability. A summary of the assessment results is contained below.

Rock installation Consideration was given to the establishment of a pre and post installation rock berm throughout the area where the cable is to be surface laid. Rock installation is a

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commonly technique for the express purpose of enable crossing of incumbent pipeline and power cables. Rock installation on telecoms cable project is particularly preferred to concrete mattresses in areas of intensive trawling, where there is a requirement for separation of the cable from the incumbent asset and where there is a potential that the trawling activities can pose a threat to the security and integrity of crossing and its associated assets. Rock Installation has only been used on the AEC2 project to enable pipeline crossings within intensively trawled areas and where stipulated by the incumbent asset owner. The study of the background data to the Irish route indicated that trawl fishing is not carried out in the area of the cable route designated for surface lay. This assertion was confirmed by vessel AIS data (vessel size, type and frequency) and subsequent cable route survey data, which demonstrated bare and exposed bedrock throughout the area. During the assessment of the applicability of rock installation in the area of surface lay, consideration was also given to the environmental implications of introducing non local (alien) stone to this environment. The introduction of the stone and the deposition of large volumes of stone on the seafloor could have the impact of potentially damaging and smothering any in situ biota. In addition, negative secondary impacts may be experienced by local biota caused by any rock installation plume. When analysed, the assessment indicated that there was little risk posed to the cable in this area by trawling activities, additionally, there was greater risk posed by the application of rock installation than it would provide. The proposed use of a snag procedure and compensation protocol was also seen as a means of addressing the concerns of static gear fishermen. As such, the application of rock installation was discounted. The assessment did note that Post Lay installation and Burial (PLIB) could be considered as a secondary means of targeted burial where appropriate.

Cable pinning Consideration was given to the pinning of the cable to the local rock. This is a technique commonly used in shallow water, high energy environments, where there is a risk posed to the cable by abrasion or in proximity to sensitive habitats such as corals. In the process of pinning, cable clamps are placed across the cable, with securing pins drilled into the underlying substrate/rock.

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The assessment of cable pinning identified that the area in question is composed almost exclusively of bare and exposed bedrock, but with occasional sand pockets. Seabed current data provided by the Marine Institute indicated that the area is not subject to high currents and water depths are such that the effects of surface weather are largely dissipated. The cable type proposed to be deployed in this area is Double Armor. This cable comprises the principal fibre cable with the additional of two layers of anti abrasion galvanised steel wire. The most recent SubCom SL17 cable specifications (2020) indicate that the SL 17 DA cable weighs 3.96 kg per metre and is almost 3 times denser than saltwater. This weigh and density difference ensures that the cable cannot physically float when deployed in seawater. During cable installation operations, the cable is precisely installed using recent advanced rocky terrain installation techniques. Recent advances in installation techniques for similar environments have shown that the provision of specific bottom tensions enables the cable to achieve better alignment and conformity to the seabed. These techniques will be used on AEC2 cable installation. The application of such techniques will ensure that kinks and bends do not develop in the cable and that cable freespans are kept to an absolute minimum. The mechanics of cable pinning were considered. Water depths at the subject site vary from 30 – 50m. These effectively rule out the possibility of using standard air diving operations to enable the works. Consequently, mixed gas diving or remotely operated vehicles would be required to undertake any possible cable pinning activities The assessment of pinning concluded that the cable weight, installation tension and the absence of seabed currents meant that there was little benefit to be achieved by cable pinning. The assessment also indicated that since free spans were being kept to a minimum and the project was using a cable awareness program with snag protocol, the risk of fishing snags was low. When combined, the assessment results indicated that cable pinning would provide little additional benefit or advantage to either the project or stakeholders. Moreover, the installation of the cable pins would require environmental assessment and acoustic modelling as the operation could potentially impact nearby marine mammals and resident flora and fauna. In lieu it was considered that it would be more appropriate to surface lay the cable directly on the seafloor as opposed to pinning the cable to the substrate.

Post Lay Inspection and Burial.

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Post Lay inspection and burial (PLIB) is a technique whereby a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) uses on board cameras to identify areas where jetting capabilities may enable otherwise difficult cable burial. PLIB is always undertaken after the initial cable installation. During the PLIB process, the remotely operated vehicle travels along the cable route identifying areas of seabed where cable burial may be possible. It then attempts cable burial using the jetting tool to fluidise the seabed, thereby facilitating cable burial. PLIB is a particularly effective cable burial technique in marginal seabed areas which have sand pockets and where plough burial is not possible. The assessment confirmed that PLIB would be a suitable technique to provide additional cable burial capabilities in areas where plough burial is not possible. PLIB will not be suitable for cable burial across bare bedrock but, depending on suitability, it may be attempted in sandy pockets between rock outcrops.

Possible Cable Deburial Although it is highly unlikely, there is no absolute guarantee that the cable will not become unburied in some sections. In an effort to mitigate this risk, the project enacted a number of measures to reduce this risk to as low as reasonable possible. These mitigation measures include the following; 1. Provision of a Snag Hotline 2. Distribution of cable awareness charts 3. Post Lay Inspection of cable burial 4. Continued liaison with local fishermen It is hoped that these measures will serve to mitigate any risk of cable exposure and identify such an occurrence at the earliest possibility.

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Ocean Current Analysis Details Current data obtained for stations ~2km apart, covering the whole area • Currents weaken and become more variable in direction from west to east • Currents >1kt only occur west of KP227 (Station 1 only), but for <0.5% of the time • Currents of up to 1kt occur from KP227 to KP247 (Stations 3-13), but for <0.5% of the time • Currents <0.6kt occur east of KP255 • Speeds are <0.4kt for the most part, >85-90% of the time • Only Station 1 shows speed >0.4kt for more than 50% of the time • Appears tidally influenced, with lower speeds and much more variability in direction in the east • More of a N-S trend in the west, swinging more E-W at the far east

Figure 19: AEC2 Rock Outcrop Area Currents Analysis

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Figure 20: AEC2, Rock Outcrop Area Currents Analysis

Figure 21: AEC2, Rock Outcrop Area Currents Analysis Maximum Current Speeds

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Figure 22: AEC2, Rock Outcrop Area Currents Analysis – Percent of time as various speeds

Figure 23: AEC2, Rock Outcrop Area Currents Analysis – Current direction by station

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