Alongside the B2 training, all three cable stations are completing their final inventory checks with the Tyco C&A staff.  This involves going through the inventory records and sighting and cross-checking the items, quantities and serial numbers - right down to every last washer, nut and bolt.

In the picture above, Matt is checking off the keys that are used to control the PFE to ensure that none are missing.

The successful completion of the inventory reports at all three cable landing stations is just one of the documents that need to be completed before PIPE and Tyco can close out the project.

The Submarine Line Terminating Equipment (SLTE) and Power Feeding Equipment (PFE) were accepted in the USA last week.  Robin Webb and John Bradfield spent the last two weeks reviewing test results and conducting Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) with Tyco Telecom. The SLTE and PFE passed all the required tests and will now be prepared for shipping to the three PPC-1 sites - Madang, Sydney and Guam.  

All the cable landing stations are ready to receive the equipment and installation is planned to start with Guam in January 2009, with the remaining installations thereafter.

Overall the project is a little ahead of schedule, in particular the terminal equipment has made very good progress and is in advance of the planned dates.

The next major milestone is the block testing that will start  at the end of November.

Located adjacent to the existing TPNG telephone exchange, the construction of the cable landing station at Madang, PNG is almost completed and will be ready for commissioning in early 2009.

The Madang CLS will be supported by its own Power Building.  Construction of the power facility is powering ahead.  See the transformer pad build from a previous blog entry.

Fittings and equipment for both buildings will begin arriving in the later part of 2008.  The facilities will be used to extend telecommunications services to other provinces in Papua New Guinea.

As one of the seven intermediate maintenance holes along the Madang land route, ‘Pull Box No.3' (pictured above) will provide access to the cable as it travels from the seabed to the CLS. 

The concrete platform will form the base of the access chamber, which will provide an access point for making connections or performing maintenance between the 100mm ducts housing the cable along the land route.  Points of the land route will cause the ducts to be up to 2 metres underground, and therefore, the manholes need to be the same depth to accommodate the duct.

As the PPC-1 cable rises up off the seabed and onto the land, the Madang land duct will take the cable to the landing station for termination via a total of 7 intermediate manholes along the route.

Manholes are placed on underground base slabs and supported by reinforcing materials at the corner points of the land duct route (pictured).   The cable will be the hauled through PVC conduit for added protection along the route.  The conduit will be encased in concrete to provide additional protection for the ducts.  Backfilling with the displaced soil and compaction will complete the work.  A relatively short run on land, the 1.5 kilometre distance from the point of landing to the CLS is expected to be finished shortly.

This article has been edited for accuracy since posting.

Construction of the Madang Cable Landing Station and duct route is progressing with completion of the CLS due by end November and the duct route by early September in time for the Land Cable install.

The Madang CLS is being built on land inside the existing TPNG compound adjacent to the Madang telephone exchange. It is planned to install the land cable into a new duct route, with a total distance from the beach manhole to the CLS close to 1.5 kilometers.  TPNG, PIPEs partner in the project, will include additional spare ducts along the route for future planned unrepeatered links that will ultimately link other provinces of Papua New Guinea.

Pictured above are the separate rooms for the generator pads.

Back in June, construction began on our new cable landing facility in Madang. An expansion of an existing building, the works are expected to be completed by the end of August this year.

The Madang Cable Landing Station Outside Plant (OSP) survey was completed in the week 8^th - 12^th July.  The outcome of the OSP survey schedule will be developed along with the Guam and Sydney survey reports.

PIPE's Environmental Plan, Madang's local planning and construction laws are all being observed during assembly of the structure.  PIPE and its partners will closely monitor the works for compliance as well as any environmental impacts.

Madang CLS is expected to be operational by April/May 2009 functioning as a landing point for the PPC-1 cable.