European landing site chosen for Emerald Express submarine network

Jan. 13, 2014
Emerald Networks Holdings Ltd. has announced the one of the landing sites for Emerald Express, the new submarine cable system it is building between North America and Europe (with connection to Grindavik, Iceland). The undersea cable system will land at Killala Bay in County Mayo, Ireland, the company says.

Emerald Networks Holdings Ltd. has announced the one of the landing sites for Emerald Express, the new submarine cable system it is building between North America and Europe (with connection to Grindavik, Iceland). The undersea cable system will land at Killala Bay in County Mayo, Ireland, the company says.

The U.S. landing site, in Shirley, NY, had already been announced. TE Subcom is the principal contractor for Emerald Express, for which survey work has already begun (see “Survey work begins on Emerald Express transatlantic submarine network”). The submarine network is expected to be ready for service in the fourth quarter of this year.

Emerald Networks said it considered several sites in cooperation with the Mayo County Council and other government agencies over the past three years before settling on Killala Bay for Emerald Express while keeping in mind a list of construction goals:

  1. minimizing disturbance to the local environment
  2. eliminating impact on local fishing
  3. ensuring the security of the cable and landing station
  4. maximizing the ease of interconnecting to terrestrial infrastructure for carrying international traffic to Dublin and on to London and the European mainland.

The company expects the construction of a landing site at Killala Bay also will help spur construction of a planned renewable energy power plant in the region. In addition to powering the landing station, Emerald Networks and local authorities expect the power plant will attract data center builders, who will find the combination of international connectivity and a large power source appealing.

"This is very good news for Mayo, the entire West region and indeed the country,” Mayo County Manager Peter Hynes said. “It will bring significant further opportunities in the communications and data processing areas in the future."

Added CEO of Mayo County Enterprise Board and Head of Mayo County Council's Enterprise and Investment Unit Joanne Grehan, "We have been working with Emerald Networks, state agencies, and government departments on this project since 2011. We look forward to the cable coming ashore and we will continue to work to attract investment and jobs to what will be a most attractive location for a range of data-related enterprises."

"We very much appreciate the continuing help and support that we have received over the course of developing this project from the Irish Government, its agencies, and especially the local authorities in Mayo,” concluded Emerald Networks CEO Bill Marra. “We believe that this project will make the region significantly more attractive to the major companies in the data center industry."

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