Like Jan De Nul’s Swordfish, used to bury cables in deep waters, Crayfish was ordered from British engineering company Osbit. Capable of burying cables in water depths of up to 200 meters, the trencher can be deployed flexibly, both offshore and onshore. Thanks to its lightweight design and modular build, Crayfish has a limited impact on its surroundings. Its modular design also makes it easy to transport and mobilize from one project to another.

Crayfish is remotely operated from our shallow-draft vessel Henry Darcy, which is currently being converted into a trenching support vessel. Before its conversion, Henry Darcy was a water injection dredger, using high-pressure water to loosen the seabed and move sediment. Today, part of this former equipment is being given a new purpose. The water pumps previously used for dredging will supply high-pressure water to Crayfish. The jet water is fed from the vessel to the trencher through a hose, allowing Crayfish to loosen the seabed and bury the cable.

This smart combination makes Crayfish particularly well suited to shallow waters. On most trenchers, the jet pumps are located on the machine itself, but they cannot operate in very shallow water. On Crayfish, the pumps are located aboard Henry Darcy, allowing the trencher to work much closer to shore.

Crayfish will be deployed for the first time in summer 2027. In the German North Sea, the trencher will bury cables in shallow waters as part of the 2 GW cable program we are carrying out for grid operator TenneT.