IMCA says Windward’s findings highlight the need for policy alignment to support the resilience of subsea energy and data networks.
New analysis from maritime intelligence company Windward, identifying risks to global undersea cable infrastructure, highlights the need for governments and industry to strengthen subsea cable resilience, says the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA).
Windward’s latest Undersea Cables Risk Report highlights significant concentrations of vessel activity around critical subsea routes. IMCA, which represents the global offshore marine contracting industry, notes that while the report focuses heavily on telecommunications cables, the findings also have important implications for the rapidly expanding offshore energy sector, including offshore wind export cables, interconnectors and emerging offshore grid infrastructure.
Commenting on the report, Iain Grainger, Chief Executive of IMCA, said: “Subsea cables are the invisible lifelines of the modern world, carrying 99% of intercontinental data and an increasing share of renewable power. While the telecommunications sector benefits from long-established maintenance zones and dedicated repair arrangements, the power cable sector operates under different, often more complex, mechanisms. As we become more dependent on these energy links, our response and recovery frameworks must evolve to match the scale of the infrastructure.
“The challenge is not a lack of industry capability. It is alignment. The offshore industry already provides the marine expertise that underpins digital connectivity and the energy transition. The priority now is to ensure that policy frameworks, permitting systems and strategic planning allow that capability to be deployed quickly and effectively when faults occur.”
In alignment with its joint position with the European Subsea Cables Association (ESCA), IMCA is calling for coordinated government and industry action across three core areas:
• Public-private cooperation and investment, including targeted support for repair capability, strategic equipment reserves and sector-specific solutions for power cable repair.
• Skills and workforce resilience, including national programmes to train and retain specialist personnel such as cable engineers, jointing specialists, deck officers and marine engineers.
• Policy reform and regulatory alignment, including fast-track permitting and emergency exemptions where appropriate, supported by harmonised processes across jurisdictions.
Grainger added: “The Windward data is a timely reminder that vulnerabilities beneath the sea are a strategic concern. Governments, regulators and industry must work together to ensure that response arrangements keep pace with the importance of the infrastructure.
“Resilience is not only about prevention and detection. It is also about ensuring that the right vessels, people, equipment and permissions can be brought together quickly when repairs are required.”
