Our technical and engineering teams developed a unique fibre-reinforced cable protection solution designed to provide maximum performance for life of field installations: Balmoral FibreFlex.

The patented system mechanically locks to the end connectors removing a reliance on PU bonding while providing market-leading strain and stiffness levels that are unachievable using traditional PU manufacturing methods.

Integrated stability system

Our stability solution, which complements FibreFlex, offers enhanced tensile and creep performance and is proven to offer up to 75% movement reduction in subsea environments with a corresponding trebling of cable life subject to seabed topology and metocean data.

Both innovations contribute to greatly increased fatigue life.

Key benefits

• Patented fibre-reinforced technology
• Ultimate life of field performance
• Mechanical locking design
• Industry-leading fatigue life, strain and stiffness performance
• Improved axial tension and elongation
• Increased long-term creep performance
• Optimised bending control
• Slimline profile

In-house experts carry out full design evaluation to ensure a technically superior and cost efficient solution is offered by typically completing the following analyses:

• Hydrodynamic
• Thermal
• Seabed stability
• Fatigue limit state (FLS) / Ultimate limit state (ULS)
• Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
• Vortex induced vibration (VIV)
• Design engineering

Balmoral operates a fully comprehensive test rig for its offshore wind-related products.

The rig comprises full scale winches, test tower, monopile and J-tube to simulate tow-in and tow-out installation processes.

The facility conducts individual component tests to validate bending and axial stiffness, load, bending, curvature, axial, operational and safety performance.

Designed to introduce weight to subsea cables, pipes and umbilicals or assist in the creation of specific subsea cable configurations, eg, steep, lazy wave, etc.

Bend restrictors: boltless

Balmoral’s boltless restrictors offer industry leading performance while offering an 80% improvement on standard installation timings.

Key benefits

• Rapid installation offering significant savings
• Revolutionary boltless interlocking system
• Superior load capacity
• Excellent temperature resistance
• Materials and design methodology API 17L 1&2 compliant

Bend restrictors: standard

Designed to prevent over-bending at the interface between flowlines/umbilicals/cables and rigid structures, standard restrictors are made from rigid PU materials, come in two halves, and are bolted around the pipe. They are accredited by Bureau Veritas to API 17L standards.

Key features, indicative values

• Typical cable/pipe diameters: 20-450mm
• Typical bending moments: 2-120kNm
• Standard minimum bend radius: 1-8m
• Materials: marine grade polyurethane
• Design life: 35 years or project specific

Usually conical in shape, PU bend stiffeners are used to support flexible pipe, umbilicals and cables when connected to rigid structures or a floating system where there is a requirement to control the minimum bend radius of the pipe.

Balmoral stiffeners are accredited by Bureau Veritas to API 17L standards.

Product options

• Dynamic stiffener
• Static stiffener
• Split stiffener
• SolGuard® UV protection coating

Blaze, a Balmoral company, provides fire safety protection, detection and loss prevention solutions for harsh and challenging environments.

This involves everything from front-end definition of concepts, detailed design, supply and installation and the commissioning and maintenance of active fire extinguishing systems and fire alarm systems.

• Loss prevention/Safety studies
• System design
• Manufacture
• Project management
• Installation and commissioning
• System testing and verification
• Service and maintenance
• Firewater storage tanks

Balmoral composite covers protect subsea cables and umbilicals from falling objects and fishing activity. The covers are lightweight, easily handled, packed and shipped.

Key benefits

• Exceptionally lightweight
• Designed to specific project requirements
• Material thickness and cover size options

With 40+ years of GRP and advanced composites manufacturing history behind us we offer a range of products to the offshore wind sector.

Benefitting from in-depth technical, engineering, manufacturing and testing expertise we offer standard or bespoke products in these highly adaptable materials.

With 40+ years of GRP and advanced composites manufacturing history behind us we offer a range of products to the offshore wind sector.

Benefitting from in-depth technical, engineering, manufacturing and testing expertise we offer standard or bespoke products in these highly adaptable materials.

Where discrete asset separation and protection is required Balmoral provides universal crossover solutions. These are designed to be assembled on board and installed as an integral component during cable lay operations.

Key benefits

• Varying asset separation features accommodated
• Quickly and easily installed topside
• Full train protection option

Inter array cables require buoyancy uplift to reduce tension loads and assist in achieving particular configurations.

Key benefits

• Proprietary tools for rapid installation (6mins per pair)
• Accredited by Bureau Veritas to API 17L standards

Balmoral Duraballast protects subsea cables, jumpers, flowlines and touchdown zones although many other applications have been identified.

It provides cost-effective localised impact and abrasion protection and is supplied as pairs of interlocking half shells secured around the core product using circumferential straps.

Balmoral’s adaptable system, Duraguard, provides highly cost effective subsea dropped object and abrasion protection and can be deployed as touchdown shielding for floating wind installations.

Key benefits

• Adaptable to suit differing tolerances
• Promptly manufactured
• Easily and quickly installed
• Available in a range of standard sizes
• High in performance, low in through-life costs
• Field proven

Balmoral offers a full FEED support service when clients are investigating project options.

The ‘Balmoral Discovery Unit’ comprises in-house engineering, R&D and testing personnel that are available to explore potential alternative opportunities.

Balmoral’s proprietary hang-offs are used to secure cables to the top of offshore structures including monopiles, jackets or rigs allowing for termination.

These are deployed when a subsea cable needs to be secured to the seabed. Used in conjunction with tether clamps and anchors the clamps are designed to interface with bend limiting devices.

Key benefits

• Self-energising for high load performance up to 200Te
• Standard design for use in loads up to 20Te
• Modular design on both systems can be used on multiple line sizes

In jacket configurations, the Balmoral bellmouth interfaces with the J-tube/I-tube steelwork. The universal bellmouth can accommodate any of the Balmoral CPS size ranges while the remaining parts of the system are configured similar to monopile solutions, FID, duplex bend restrictors and standard dynamic units.

Key benefits

• Incorporates Balmoral FibreFlex™ CPS technology
• Direct interface with J-tube steelwork
• Universal bellmouth design

Manufactured in a range of sizes, Balmoral J-tube/I-tube seals provide a sealing off of the J-tube/I-tubes preventing the release of corrosion inhibitor.

Key benefits

• Manufactured to API 17L standards in a range of sizes
• Diver or diverless installation systems
• Prefit or retrofit options

On monopile configurations, bend stiffeners are used to maintain the cable direction to the hang-off point at the turbine and prevent overbending during pull-in operations.

Balmoral’s patented foundation interface device (FID) anchors the CPS and prevents the system slipping from the aperture. Duplex steel bend restrictors, then connect to the patented standard dynamic units (SDU’s).

This technology is designed for dynamic situations and works exceptionally well throughout the design life giving excellent thermal performance.

Efficient handling has been designed to aid installation from the vessel.

Key benefits

• Incorporates Balmoral FibreFlex™ CPS technology
• Overbending protection
• Excellent thermal protection
• Ease of installation

Balmoral’s long CPS system extends from the monopile hang-off deck through the entry aperture and into the seabed. The system provides internal protection, dampens vibration and inhibits oscillation.

Key benefits

• Incorporates Balmoral FibreFlex™ CPS technology
• High stiffness
• UV protection
• Low friction and straightforward installation

Balmoral manufactures a range of polyurethane accessories that are used in a number of offshore operations including cable laying.

Key benefits

• Available in a range of rigid and flexible PU materials
• Various colour mouldings to aid identification
• Strapped or bolted fastenings

Designed to provide a latching interface between the CPS and the J- or I- tube flanges on offshore installations.

Key benefits

• Universal design requires less coordination of CPS offshore (one size fits all)
• Standard design and moulds
• Commercially efficient

Balmoral offers a range of cable protection systems (CPS) for inter array and export cables on fixed offshore wind installations.

Solutions are provided that include quayside pre-installation to minimise offshore vessel time and cost. Unique and patented CPS solutions predominantly comprise standard dynamic units (SDU’s) designed to suit dynamic situations.

Balmoral standard dynamic units (SDU) can be configured as an alternative to a J-tube/I-tube solution. The system is light and easily installable on existing structures and provides a corrosion resistant alternative to steel.

Key benefits

• Incorporates Balmoral FibreFlex™ CPS technology
• Lightweight
• Ease of installation
• No separate interface requirements

Balmoral provides a range of subsurface products including one-piece buoys and 'off-the-shelf' umbilical and cable flotation with a wide variety of fittings and accessories.

• Mooring buoys
• One-piece subsurface buoyancy
• Tri-buoys
• Oceanus floats
• Umbilical floats

Key benefits

• Cost effective standard range
• High durability and impact absorption
• Colour options