ILE DE RE

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Cable layer returned to Bass Strait for repairs of broken Basslink power cable

A reprieve in bad weather has allowed the "Ile de Re" to return to Bass Strait to begin the next phase of repairs to the broken Basslink undersea power cable. In Apri, cable experts removed the damaged section of the Basslink power cable, but rough conditions prevented the ship returning to the fault site to finish the job. After three weeks of delay, the ship was finally able to leave Geelong on May 19, 2016, and the repair team hoped calm conditions would last long enough to connect a new section of cable to the existing one. The team needs 16 calm days to work on the cable before it can be up and running again. Despite the weather delays, Basslink maintained it could still meet the return to service date of mid-June. What caused the cable to fail in December remained unknown. Basslink was awaiting a report from independent experts tests on the faulty section.

Cable layer circling off Bay of Plenty due to bio-fouling problems

A dirty hull may well be the reason why the "Ile de Re" has been circling off the Bay of Plenty coast during the recent days and made a rendevous with the Tauranga-based Western Work Boats vessel "Tranquil Image" in the evening of Dec 6, 2015. The Minister of Primary Industries had to ensure the vessel was free from any bio-security risks which was in this case bio-fouling. The MPI instructed the vessel to remain off shore and undergo treatment before coming closer to New Zealand. The hull scraping was expected to be completed in three-to-six days. The ship came down to Auckland from its base at Nouméa two or three days ago. It went down the Rangitoto channel without callling at the port, did a couple of sweeps around the top of the Hauraki Gulf and then headed down to the spot in the middle of the holding pattern. The "Ile De Re" has recently been involved in linking Tonga to the Southern Cross Cable which is the main trans-Pacific system that connects Fiji, Australia and New Zealand to the United States of America. The connection between Tonga and Fiji is part of the regional connectivity project which is aimed at connecting all Pacific Islands through fibre optic cable. The project is financed partially by World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and Tonga Communications Corporation.