Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass), an independent society providing ship classification and certification, said it has successfully assisted public electricity distribution utility, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), in the marine cable installation works for the electrification project of Gharapuri Island (popularly known as Elephanta Island), in Mumbai, India.

As the agency overseeing the cable installation works, IRClass was responsible for: finalising the route using route survey and bathymetry survey; proposing technical specifications and construction methodology; conducting a marine feasibility study with conceptual layout and; making periodic inspection of cable installation in addition to conducting a final check.

To get electricity to the island, four, single core 22 KV Copper cables of 95 sq mm were laid below the seabed from TS Rehman Institute using the plough method over a distance of 7 km – making this one of the biggest shore to shore cabling in India, said a statement.

The island, which was declared as a Unesco World Heritage site, had to depend on generators for power – for seven decades long, before finally receiving electricity, it said.

Naresh Gupta, senior vice president and divisional head – industrial services, IRClass, said: “Adding this to our project portfolio demonstrates not just our capability in handling large scale and technically challenging projects but also the trust we have earned from government bodies like the Government of Maharashtra – truly making us the class by choice.”

According to a spokesperson from MSEDCL: “This project is set to benefit 950 villagers from three Gharapuri villages – Shetbander, Morabandar and Rajbandar.”

“As this is our first project involving laying undersea cables, it was crucial that we work with an experienced classification society like IRClass,” the spokesperson added. – TradeArabia News Service