Consultancy sector

Environmental support for subsea cables, landfalls and marine pipelines

MER supports developers, consultants and authorities with route-specific marine evidence for submarine cables, power interconnectors, landfalls, nearshore crossings and subsea pipelines.

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Subsea cables and pipelines need robust marine evidence across route selection, landfall planning, protected sites and installation works. MER supports this sector through environmental baseline surveys, EIA and ESHIA, ecology and habitat assessment, mapping, acoustics and underwater route characterisation, monitoring during works, field surveys, sample analysis and mitigation and reporting support.

This includes telecom cables, power interconnectors, beach manholes and landfalls, nearshore HDD sections, gas or liquid pipelines, protected-area assessment and decommissioning of inactive marine infrastructure.

Typical support

Environmental baseline surveys, EIA and ESHIA For routes, landfalls, crossings and associated nearshore works.
Protected-area, habitat and species assessment Including Natura 2000 sites and other sensitive marine features.
Route characterisation, mapping and underwater video To support siting, landfall planning and environmental review.
Field surveys and sample analysis For water, sediment, macrofauna and other biological elements.
Monitoring during installation or marine works Including benthic condition, megafauna observations and plume-related effects where required.
Mitigation, lifecycle review and reporting From permitting support and regulatory review to decommissioning assessment.

Example projects

Permitting Blue‑Raman submarine cable EBS, marine ESHIA sections and Appropriate Assessments for two potentially affected Natura 2000 sites. Monitoring Blue SCS Environmental survey and monitoring covering benthic habitats, megafauna and sediment-plume dynamics during implementation. Landfall planning EastMed nearshore sections ESIA and permitting support for the nearshore pipeline sections and landfall context in Cyprus. Decommissioning Archirodon submarine pipeline Baseline and impact assessment for the removal of an inactive undersea pipeline in an industrialized bay.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of subsea cable and pipeline projects does MER support?

MER supports telecom cables, power interconnectors, nearshore landfalls, subsea pipelines, route-specific baseline studies and decommissioning-related assessment.

Can MER support EIA or ESHIA work for cable routes and landfalls?

Yes. MER supports marine baseline surveys, EIA or ESHIA inputs, protected-area assessment and regulator-ready reporting for cable and pipeline projects.

Can MER assess protected habitats and Natura 2000 constraints?

Yes. MER can assess sensitive habitats, protected species and Natura 2000 interactions where subsea infrastructure may affect key marine features.

Can MER support monitoring during installation or marine works?

Yes. MER can support monitoring during marine works, including habitat condition, megafauna observations and other route-specific environmental parameters.