European Seafloor Observatories Implementation Model

WP3. Engineering Design

ESONIM has provided a detailed engineering solution for the CELTNET site which can be modified for use at any of the ESONET sites in Europe. The technical design study was performed by Alcatel Submarine Networks based on field proven solutions and was refined by IFREMER to present general aspects of the system and link them to scientific specifications from the ESONET project.

A robust, repeater-driven backbone cable that services primary nodes through branching units and spur cables is the ring design used to provide a link from an onshore site at Waterville to the remote deep sea sites. CELTNET consists of six spurs, offering up to 6 main nodes on a backbone cable measuring 1528 km in length. The cable route was planned based on seabed morphologies and substrate type using multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data collected during the Irish National Seabed Survey. The capacity is 2 Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) per node, which can be upgraded to 8 GigE per node using existing technologies. The nodes will be serviceable by ROV equipped support vessels using procedures established by the submarine cable industry, oil exploration industry and oceanographic institutes.

Proposed CELTNET cable route

Detailed estimates for the infrastructure component of the CELTNET implementation plan were also provided by the ESONIM partners. The capital expenditure for the CELTNET project is currently estimated at €81m based on a particular approach, although these costs could vary if the project is deployed on a phased basis.