Have you ever wondered how islands are connected to the electricity grid, communications cables between countries are linked, or how offshore gas fields are connected to processing plants?
Well, the answer is usually a pipeline. An electricity, communication, or gas line might be laid via a pipeline trenched into place from point A to B, digging a line through the ocean shore: sand dunes, tidal flats, mangroves, seagrass, and maybe even coral reefs. The pipeline is installed, and the shore and undersea environment hopefully recovers.
But pipeline installation options are expanding, thanks to innovation in technology, methods, and expectations. These days, trenching a pipeline through a coral reef may not be acceptable. But we still need the pipelines – so how can they be installed in an environmentally appropriate manner?
The answer is HDD.
Today is UN World Oceans Day, and this year’s theme is “Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean”. The innovation of trenchless technology may not be the highest-profile way of protecting the ocean, but we’re strong believers in every industry and individual doing their part. We’re passionate about the environmental capabilities of trenchless technology and true believers in its role in wider environmental protection.
So how does the innovation of trenchless technology protect our oceans and shoreline? Via HDD outfalls and shore approach methodologies.
HDD innovation for environmental protection
Every HDD ocean outfall or shore approach commences with detailed planning and design of the pipeline. After design and methodology is completed, an arc is drilled from point A under the ground – and ocean – emerging at point B. The pipeline is then pulled into the predrilled path, often using a marine support vessel, leaving the environment spanning the pipeline untouched and unspoilt. The benefits of HDD shore approaches and ocean outfalls are exemplified in projects such as the Tangguh LNG pipeline (Lucas Engineering, West Papua), Sole Developments Project (Pipeline Drillers Group, East Gippsland), and Tuas Cable Landing Outfall (HDIL, Singapore).
Supporting the pivot to renewables
HDD is also playing a major part in energy sector innovation as the world pivots toward renewables. Although much current demand for HDD comes from the gas industry, renewable energy projects such as offshore wind and solar farms are gaining momentum as part of larger environmental and energy sector innovation. These energy sources still require product transport via pipelines, and HDD has the ability to deliver these pipelines via environmentally low-impact methods.
Quiet achiever
Innovation – especially environmental innovation – isn’t always obvious or recognised. HDD is a quiet achiever in relation to environmental performance and in supporting other industries to improve their environmental performance. Even less obvious is the way that HDD has contributed to protecting our ocean shores, preventing the destruction of delicate coastal environments via avoiding them entirely. However, we believe that with the ever-increasing expectations for environmental protection, HDD is only just beginning to be recognised as the environmental power player that it is.
This World Oceans Day, we recognise trenchless technology’s contribution, and its support and demonstration of innovation and environmental protection into the future.