De-Risking the Sunshine B Power Cable in Singapore Waters

The Results: Certainty in an Uncertain Route

We start every project with the goal of delivering certainty. For this critical national infrastructure project, our work yielded three non-negotiable outcomes:

• Minimized TSS Risk: We delivered the optimum 23.452 km cable route and defined crossing procedures that guaranteed minimal marine safety risk within the Singapore Straits TSS. This was crucial to securing navigational safety and preventing costly rerouting.

• Future-Proof Protection: We designed a precise burial and protection plan compliant with MPA standards to accommodate future dredging up to 18.5m below Chart Datum. This guarantees the cable's operational integrity for its entire 30-year lifespan.

• Regulatory Certainty: Our DTS provided the verifiable data and justifications needed for in-principal approval from the MPA and all subsea asset owners, eliminating permitting roadblocks and accelerating the project toward the expensive pre-lay survey phase.

The Full Story: Navigating Global Constraints

The Sunshine B Electricity Export Cable project faced a massive challenge: routing a high-voltage power cable through the Singapore Straits, one of the world's most congested and regulated waterways. Any error in the preliminary design meant catastrophic delays and financial penalties.

Our team was tasked with executing an extensive Desktop Study (DTS) that not only mapped existing infrastructure but anticipated future port development and dredging plans. The study adhered to the strict standards of the ICPC (International Cable Protection Committee), turning a seemingly impossible route into a detailed, defensible plan. We synthesized data from dozens of regulatory bodies to deliver an engineering solution that used rock berms and precise burial techniques to ensure the cable remained secure against hazards while simultaneously ensuring clearance for future port expansion. Our DTS was the essential key to unlocking the project's viability.