The first Chinese-produced, Asia's most powerful auto-track moving subsea cable trencher, developed by Sealien (Guangzhou) Technology Co., Ltd. in Nansha (shortly referred to as "Sealien"), has completed its first post-installation cable burying operation for offshore wind power, marking a new step forward in China's heavy subsea intelligent operation equipment and subsea operation capabilities.

The first subsea cable trencher independently developed in China, with a Chinese supply chain and the largest power in Asia was named "Taurus" by its developer Sealien, symbolizing its "tenacity, stability, practicality, and strength." To date, "Taurus" has completed its beach trenching tests, wharf immersion tests, and near-sea submersion trenching tests in waters along Zhuhai City, Nansha District of Guangzhou City, and Huizhou City.

Sealien's Subsea cable trencher "Taurus" (Photo provided to GDToday)

After a complete, scientific, and standardized testing procedure. the subsea trencher "Taurus" embarked on an offshore support mother vessel equipped with an advanced DP2 dynamic position by state-owned enterprises at Zhanjiang Nanyou Wharf, and completed its first marine construction operation in a wind field in Xuwen waters on May 23, 2024.

Since it was the first operation, the pilot controlled the speed as much as possible, achieving an average cable burying speed of 250-350m/h, with some points reaching 500m/h. A burial depth of 3-3.5 meters was easily achieved with the machine operating at about 50% power (the "Taurus Trencher" is designed to have a maximum single-time burial depth of up to 5 meters).

It is reported that the subsea cable trencher "Taurus" adopts a movement mode that allows it to walk automatically with tracks, with the power exceeding 1,600 horsepower. The trencher is equipped with a rear-mounted main high-pressure jet trenching assembly, designed to adapt to a maximum water depth of 500 meters, and has a maximum single-shot jet trenching capability of 5 meters.

Sealien's subsea cable trencher "Taurus" was retried after completing the operation (Photo provided to GDToday)

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