Subsea Cable Pull Support for Offshore Wind

• Project Type: Offshore Wind Cable Pull Support and Mock-Up Trials
• Location: Port of Leith, Edinburgh; Aberdeen; UK and overseas fabrication yards
• Client: Specialist offshore contractors
• Duration: October 2025 to June 2026, 48 site visits across three engagements
• Team Deployment: IRATA qualified rope access technicians in crews of 1 to 4

Overview

Think Access’s Scotland team has moved into one of the country’s fastest growing sectors, providing rope access support for subsea cable pull operations in offshore wind. Across three engagements our technicians supported cable pulls for wind turbine generators and an offshore substation on the 1.1GW Inch Cape project, whose components marshal through the Port of Leith, and delivered full scale cable pull mock-up trials at fabrication yards in the UK and overseas.

Inch Cape is one of Scotland’s largest offshore wind farms, with 72 turbines 15km off the Angus coast capable of powering around half the homes in Scotland once fully operational.

The Challenge

Pulling a subsea power cable into a turbine tower or substation is a precision operation in a confined vertical space. Winches, capstans, rollers, hang offs and cleats all have to be rigged, operated and recovered inside the structure, work that sits naturally with rope access rather than fixed platforms.

Before cables are pulled offshore, the procedures are proven onshore. Full scale mock-up trials replicate the pull on land so that equipment, procedures and timings are verified before a vessel is ever on station. These trials demand the same rigging discipline as the live works, delivered in fabrication yards on tight mobilisation windows, including one campaign at an overseas yard.

The Solution

Our technicians integrated into the client’s cable teams, bringing IRATA rigging skills to every stage of the operation.

Across the engagements our teams delivered:

• Rigging of capstan winches, cable rollers and pulling equipment inside towers and on platforms
• Cable pulls completed with installation of temporary and permanent hang offs, trefoil cleats and cable management systems
• Cable end preparation, Chinese finger installation and trial cutting for mock-up verification
• Full scale mock-up cable pulls at UK and overseas fabrication yards, proving procedures ahead of offshore campaigns
• ROV familiarisation training completed at an Aberdeen subsea training centre to support future offshore scopes

All works ran under the marine and yard permit regimes, with pre use checks on winches and generators, daily coordination with client representatives and rescue provision in place for every shift.

Results

Cable pulls were completed successfully with hang offs and cable management installed and handed over, and the mock-up campaigns verified pulling procedures ahead of live offshore operations. The engagements have established Think Access as a rope access resource for the offshore wind supply chain, from Scottish ports to international fabrication yards.

With ROV trained technicians and proven cable pull experience, the team is positioned to support the next wave of Scottish offshore wind construction.

Rope Access Support for Offshore Wind

Think Access provides IRATA qualified technicians for cable pulls, mechanical installation and rigging support on offshore wind projects and their onshore supply chain across the UK. If your project needs rope access support, contact Think Access to discuss your requirements.