ORANGE MARINE:
Laying cable and foundations for a bright future DIGITAL REPORT 2021
IN ASSOCIATION WITH COLOMBO DOCKYARD PLC
HIGH SEAS,HIGH TECH AND HIGH LEVELS OF SUSTAINABILITY
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n the modern world, making a video call is becoming second nature. But how often do we consider how ‘the magic’ actually happens – how someone in a kitchen in North London can see, and talk to, someone in a Brisbane basement? The truth is – we don’t (generally speaking). Many would guess that it’s something ‘in the air’. In truth, almost every call, WhatsApp message and video conference relies on submarine cable installed by Orange Marine. To put it into context, this is manmade cable, laid at the very bottom of the seabed; a very real, tactile operation carried out by a crew of men and women navigating
the high seas. Amid the digitisation of our world it is a refreshing reminder that ‘actual’ things are still happening! Didier Dillard, Orange Marine’s CEO, is a veteran of submarine telecommunications and has been in the industry – fulfilling various other roles – for several decades.
“It is important to note that, materially, submarine cable doesn't have a significant environmental footprint”
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DIDIER DILLARD
CEO, ORANGE MARINE
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Consequently, the sea is in his blood and the installation of cable has become a way of life – a way of life that has been significantly altered by the era of sustainability and the myriad responsibilities that come with it. Especially in an all-encompassing international cable laying operation. “Firstly, it is important to note that, materially, submarine cable doesn't actually have a significant environmental footprint,” reflects Didier. “These cables are designed to last at least 25 years. They are robust, efficient, don't melt and, at the end of their operational usage, we can easily recover them. So, the cable by itself is already environmentally friendly.”
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DIDIER DILLARD TITLE: CEO COMPANY: ORANGE MARINE INDUSTRY: CABLE INSTALLATION & REPAIR
“ These cables are designed to last at least 25 years. They are robust, efficient, don't melt and, at the end of their operational usage, we can easily recover them. So, the cable by itself is already environmentally friendly” DIDIER DILLARD
CEO, ORANGE MARINE
EXECUTIVE BIO
Creating a global network Although cables have impressive longevity, cable installation and cable repairs need vessels and these impressive nautical creations require fuel – for the time being, it’s an occupational reality. At Orange Marine, however, the company has a strategy to make the running of its fleet as sustainable as humanly possible. Didier says: “We have made sure that we use low-sulphur fuel, while also
Didier Dillard is an experienced executive in the telecom industry, who spent most of his career within the Orange group, formerly known as France Telecom and several years in the wholesale team of the American operator Sprint. He started his career in France Telecom submarine cable division moving from project manager for new systems, engineer in charge of installation projects onboard cable ships and finally director of marine operations. He held then several management positions in marketing, commercial and regulatory affairs in New York, Kansas City and Paris. He was appointed President of FT Marine SAS (commercial name : Orange Marine) and President of Elettra Tlc on January 2018. Orange Marine and Elettra are subsidiaries of the Orange group dedicated to installation and maintenance of submarine cables through their own fleet of cable ships. Didier Dillard graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique (Paris), he holds a MS in Telecommunications Engineering and a MBA from Columbia University (New York).
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“ We strive to be at the forefront of all regulation in relation to waste waters and oils. Ultimately, we always need to have the best equipment – that's something we are constantly aspiring to” DIDIER DILLARD
CEO, ORANGE MARINE
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incorporating hybrid engines, which means our fuel is used only to produce electricity. We try to optimise the exact number of engines that are necessary at any given point. In terms of sustainability, we strive to be at the forefront of all regulation in relation to waste waters and oils. Ultimately, we always need to have the best equipment – that's something we are constantly aspiring to.” Orange Marines fleet of cable ships are specifically produced to do the job of installing or repairing submarine cables. They are uniquely robust vessels capable of navigating oceans throughout the world, even in the most adverse weather conditions. The shorter maintenance vessels are constantly on call, ready to intervene in case of cable breakage, while the longer,
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highly sophisticated installation vessels are between 100 metres and 140 metres long. “To give an example,” enthuses Didier. “Our ‘René Descartes’ installation vessel is capable of laying a huge network of cable in one load. It means that it can carry upto 8,000 kilometres of cable onboard in a single operation. This vessel is currently in the middle of the Pacific, laying another transpacific cable.” The mighty installation vessels also uphold efficiency by towing sea ploughs. This is the powerful equipment that is used to meticulously bury the cable in the often rock-hard seabed.
It is a difficult job which is undertaken methodically and, if necessary, trenches are dug to depths of two or three metres in order to accommodate the cable.
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Colombo Dockyard PLC “An odyssey of Excellence” Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) established its operations in 1974 and at present operates as Sri Lanka’s largest engineering facility leading in the business of ship repairs, shipbuilding, heavy engineering and offshore engineering operating in joint collaboration with Onomichi Dockyard Company Ltd of Japan.
Since 1974 CDPLC has been setting the standard in modern shipbuilding. Its formative years were spent building the company’s reputation by serving the local requirements and the needs of neighbouring countries such as Maldives and Myanmar. CDPLC subsequently became a force in the country’s shipbuilding industry and in 1993 the company formed a collaboration with the Onomichi Dockyard Company of Japan. Chairman, Hideaki Tanaka, explains: “The partnership enabled us to emerge as the most reliable, flexible, truly world-class shipbuilder in South Asia, capable of offering Japanese quality at a competitive South Asian price.” As the era of climate change emerged the company formed a strategy to build more complex vessels such as cable layers and eco-friendly vessels using hybrid technology (which can be classified as ‘green ships’), especially targeting the European market. D. V. Abeysinghe, the company’s Managing Director/CEO, reflects: “The challenges of the last decade have resulted in a much greater emphasis on employee skills, engineering knowledge, design management capabilities and internal quality management systems, together with safety and environment compliance.”
Ship shape
The current landmark project with Orange Marine has witnessed the company venture once again into the cable-laying market and
will see it produce this cable ship specially designed for the maintenance of both fiber optic telecommunication and inter-array power cables used in wind farms. With the delivery of the Orange Marine vessel, CDPLC will be a leading yard in the world having delivered two sophisticated cable laying/ repair vessels within a short span of five years. Over the last few decades the company has also been dynamically future-proofing by continuously transferring technical and practical knowledge to the younger generation. Mr Tanaka says: “We are very optimistic about the years ahead as we target the European market.” We have the edge over other far eastern shipyards as we are in close proximity to the European market and are well experienced in transforming European ship designs in to a reality through our master craftmanship. It certainly is a great time for CDPLC as it ambitiously navigates the high seas into a positive, sustainable future. As Mr Abeysinghe says: “It’s a pleasure to see the brand name ‘built by Colombo Dockyard, Sri Lanka’ sailing off to traverse the world seas.”
LEARN MORE
1999
FCR became a 100% subsidiary of Orange Group
250+
Number of employees
230K+ km
of fibre optic submarine cables in all oceans
15%
of the world cable vessel fleet
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Number of ships operated, including one dedicated to survey
670
Intercontinental- line repairs over the past 15 years including repairs at 6,000 meters deep
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“When you commission a new ship there is a full range of tests, including at sea, where you need to ensure that all the specifications are met ” DIDIER DILLARD
CEO, ORANGE MARINE
Ships shaping a sustainable future Orange Marine is currently overseeing the most ambitious ship build in its history and many of the new features being rolled out are testament to the company’s focus on low carbon output and investment in longterm sustainability across all its operations. “When you commission a new ship there is a full range of tests, including at sea, where you need to ensure that all the specifications are met,” Didier explains. “There are not many cable vessel builders around the world, so we have selected a shipyard with vast experience.” The partnership with the designers has been essential to the construction of a trailblazing vessel, as Didier notes: “We spent a lot of time with the shipyard trying to find the best way to optimise fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and overall performance. The ship also requires an ability to operate everywhere in the world.” “In order to refuel effectively and efficiently we have two locations in France – one in Brest and the other on the coast of the Mediterranean. In both cases, they are equipped with shore power, which means that the vessels get electricity directly from the bases, not from their engines,” he adds. marine.orange.com
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Orange Marine: High seas, high tech and high levels of sustainability
Culture shift as industry evolves Cable laying is an old industry negotiating (quite literally) a rapidly transforming world. While system, operation and hardware upgrades have been essential, there has also been a 14
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need to change mindsets in terms of climate change. Rebooting belief systems has fundamentally transformed companies, making every individual think differently about the environment in which they work. Didier is convinced that there has been a very positive cultural shift at Orange Marine and throughout the industry. “There are already protected areas in the seabeds, so, when you design a route for a new cable, you need to get permission from the local authorities. We now have constraints linked to biodiversity and marine life that were not significant 20 years ago.”
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“We recently complied with some very strict restrictions in terms of when and where we could install cable in French Guiana and French West Indies. These regulations were in place specifically to avoid turtle nesting season, and that gives you an idea of where the industry is going.” Beyond changing policy, Orange Marine invites onboard sea mammal observers to accompany their operations, presenting them with opportunities to witness animal behaviour across the world’s oceans. The company is also involved with the ‘Argos system’, which deploys and collects
data from the sea's temperature. It is an initiative that the company is not obliged to participate in, but does demonstrate an expansive dedication to improving the environment. “We are happy to do it whenever we can,” insists Didier. “It’s a new and
“There are not many cable vessel builders around the world, so we have selected a shipyard with vast experience” DIDIER DILLARD
CEO, ORANGE MARINE
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“ I really like this compelling combination of new technologies and traditional onboard operations. You will always need to have seafarers capable of handling the cable, cutting it, joining it and manipulating it” DIDIER DILLARD
CEO, ORANGE MARINE
increasingly visible dimension within our activity. At Orange Marine we are always trying to find new ideas or new things that have a positive impact on society.” Igniting communication through cable Submarine cables form the critical network that maintain personal and professional relationships – they hold families together, while enabling the international corporate infrastructure to flourish when – 25 years ago – it wouldn’t have been possible. “You cannot use the internet now without submarines, either for professional or personal usage. It's just impossible,” Didier points out. “And it’s physical stuff. I really like this compelling combination of new technologies and traditional onboard operations. You will always need to have seafarers capable of handling the cable, cutting it, joining it and manipulating it.” “It is the same type of skill that would have been used more than a century before. It's not only software or artificial intelligence that holds the key to sustainability. You need to have real people,” he adds. The international pandemic has brought the role of submarine cable networks into the sharpest of focus – video conferences 16
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“It is the same type of skill that would have been used more than a century before. It's not only software or artificial intelligence that holds the key to sustainability. You need to have real people” DIDIER DILLARD
CEO, ORANGE MARINE
have become the fabric of our lives and, consequently, millions of miles of travelling have been taken out of the equation. The crisis has actually demonstrated what is possible by using remote technology. “Most of the video meetings that have taken place globally have used submarine cable,” says Didier. “It enabled the world to continue to work, even if people stayed at home without commuting. By maintaining communications between continents; between countries and between islands, I think that we've become a pivotal part of the solution.” In the past 18 months it has become obvious that submarine cables are a critical asset for all countries and the entire world. Even small islands now receive their connectivity through submarine cables. A prime example is Saint Helena – in the middle of the Atlantic – which has been connected by Orange Marine in the last couple of months. There are several notable tech companies that also know the vital importance of submarine cables, especially when it comes to economics and rapid responses. “Our industry has had huge investment from Google, Amazon and Facebook. It's interesting to hold discussions with these companies because they keep telling us that
they will require many more cables in the future,” says Didier. “When you add up these big players with the wider needs of the global community and the all-encompassing appetite for telecommunications, our industry’s future is in good health.” In many ways, Orange Marine has enabled the future to be brought forward, but it couldn’t have come to fruition without the craftsmanship and toil of human beings on the high seas. And in a world of digitisation it is satisfying to know that humanity is still taking centre stage.
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