Ghent start-up monitors offshore industry worldwide

The North Sea off the Belgian coast may well be the busiest shipping zone in the world. Belgium is therefore a true maritime nation, with Antwerp and Zeebrugge as spearheads of economic activity. Then we have to consider that in that southern part of the North Sea there is an extensive tangle of power cables, pipelines and fibre-optic connections buried under at least one metre of sand. These are responsible for power supplies between Flanders and Great Britain, internet connections, and to allow offshore wind turbines to communicate with the mainland, among other things.

This crucial infrastructure is very vulnerable. Although the copper power wires are well insulated in a lead coating, damage from ship anchors, or worse, sabotage, is a constant threat. Repairs can run into millions of dollars. Fibre-optic cables always have small imperfections, which reflect light. By continuously sending laser pulses through them, Marlinks can measure three parameters to the nearest few metres: the depth of the cables and local temperature, whether the cables are moving due to a natural or provoked cause such as a diver, an underwater drone or a passing ship, and whether there is a short circuit.

This is world-class advanced technology with potential for defence applications.