In the 90s, Van Heck applied its years of experience and specialised knowledge in laying cables for the IT industry. Van Heck’s split case pumps were used to dig trenches in the ocean floor to lay the cables in. This inventive technique, referred to as ‘jetting’, is back in fashion today, but this time in a completely different industry: laying power cables for batteries of offshore windmills.
Limiting factors, such as space, burden and environmental effect reports make it an attractive option to build windmills dozens of kilometres out at sea in so-called wind farms. This does however mean that the power cables running from the windmills to the coast must be laid in the sea. Van Heck has more than ten years of experience in doing this and therefore has the knowledge in-house to be able to do so fast and in the most professional way. ‘We have been working in England for the past two years and we are accumulating more and more experience in the field,’ says director Jeroen van Heck. ‘The market has really started to take off.’ Jet pumps operating on vessels are affected by wave action, as a result of which air is sucked into the pump, and the jetting is not done properly.
One of the reasons why Van Heck is the ideal company for laying cables on the ocean floor is that the company’s hydraulic underwater pumps, with their accompanying power packs, feed the jet pumps faultlessly and evenly. This prevents irregularities and ensures that the main pump continues to run optimally. But that’s not all: Van Heck recently came up with a new application for the ballast system: placing turbines out at sea. The pedestals the turbines stand on are sunk into the sea, and the ballast system prevents the pontoon from capsizing. This innovative application makes it possible to win a lot of time. ‘You get a real kick from doing something that is good for the customer, as well as the environment,’ Van Heck explains. ‘The thing I like best about this work is optimising, and solving the puzzle. What’s the most perfect way to get the project done? That’s the thing that drives me.’ That statement also articulates Van Heck’s vision: Find the best and smartest solution for the customer and make sure to inform him as effectively as possible. Continue to support him wherever necessary and desired. In short: Van Heck’s fleet of pumps with their clean engines are ready for everyone.
