CAPE TOWN, South Africa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After purchasing the remaining submerged section of the decommissioned Bermuda-US-1 (BUS-1) cable connecting Bermuda to the United States, Mertech Marine announces that it has recovered cable from the oceans depths. From as deep as 5,205 meters (17,077 feet) the company’s specialist vessels hauled the recovered cable and its repeaters to the surface and from there they will be transshipped to the company’s specialized facilities in South Africa.
Only weeks after completing the cable’s purchase from international subsea services provider GlobeNet, Mertech Marine’s MV Lida and MV Layla began the recovery on 1 May, and by 23 May, the undersea operations were a complete success.
A few years back, the cable’s previous owner, GlobeNet, replaced BUS-1 with a new high capacity cable along the same Bermuda-US route as part of its regional network that connects North and South America. “We are proud to support this 'green' activity and contribute to protecting the marine environment,” said Philippe Perrier, CTO of the company.
Mertech Marine CEO Alwyn du Plessis observed that after recovering 650 metric tons of the Bermuda-US-1 cable from the seafloor, the vessels will continue to recover additional assets that Mertech Marine has also acquired in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Oceans. “Our plan is to keep all three of our vessels deployed and working to recover cables in the oceans around the world. Since the oceans are crisscrossed by cables dating back to telegraph cables installed in the 1860s, we believe that recovering those cables that can be safely recovered contributes positively to the industry by relieving congestion and also positively impacts the environment through the circular economy.”
About Mertech Marine
Mertech Marine is the world’s leader in recovering and recycling unused undersea telecommunication cables. Mertech Marine has been pioneering and innovating turnkey solutions to the submarine telecommunication industry since 2004, using its own three vessel fleet to recover out of service cables, dismantle and recycle cables in their own factories. These cables are the raw materials that feed the facilities that Mertech Marine maintains in South Africa to give recovered materials a second life in various markets.
To date, Mertech Marine has recovered and responsibly recycled more than 45,000 km of cable and 1,100 subsea repeaters: eliminating more than 50,000 metric tons of material from the oceans. By ensuring its operations, including cable recovery and recycling processes, are environmentally friendly, Mertech Marine actively reduce the levels of carbon that would have been released into the atmosphere if these materials were to be created anew.
Mertech Marine is also known for its reliable innovative solutions to marine projects, providing shore end removal and installation services, along with worldwide out of service depot clearance.
About GlobeNet
GlobeNet is a wholesale telecommunications provider that connects the Americas with an integrated and comprehensive portfolio of network, IP, data center and security services. All their low latency data and IT solutions are supported by an award-winning, ultra-resilient 26,000-kilometer subsea system and data center infrastructure. With a new 2,600-kilometer cable to Argentina, GlobeNet’s technical expertise and leading customer service help ensure its partners are always ready for the challenges ahead.
GlobeNet has won the Best Americas Project Award at the 2019 Capacity Global Carrier Awards for its new 2,600 km Malbec subsea cable system. Among others, GlobeNet has also obtained the Excellence in Regional Data Centre Award – Americas at the Datacloud Awards 2019; the Best Data and Capacity Provider of the Year & Best Subsea Cable Consortium (Malbec) at the Carrier Community Awards 2019; the Best Data Center Operator at the NGON & Optical Awards 2019; the Best Platform at 2019 Carrier Word Awards; the Best Connectivity Provider at the Datacloud Awards 2018; and is the Company of the Year 2017, 2018 and 2019 by Frost and Sullivan.
