The construction phase (including manufacturing and installation) of the Juan de Fuca Cable Project would take between twenty and twenty four months from the point when the contracts and financing have been secured. Construction would occur in stages, with installation under city streets progressing at about 50m (~160ft) per day. The construction of the converter stations would take about 7 months.

Installation – Offshore/Marine

A mechanical burial technique will be used for this portion of the installation.  A ship-towed machine will create narrow trenches, into which the High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) cable system will be laid. Once the cable is in place, the disturbed materials will back-fill the trench.  The trenches will be sufficiently deep to prevent disturbance by ship anchors, etc.

The preferred sea route was chosen because:

• It is the most direct route
• The seabed consists of material (e.g. gravel) that is generally suitable for trenching methods
• There are no significant impacts to identified Valued Ecosystem Components (which include both habitat and species-specific features). Operations are not anticipated to produce any lasting impacts to fish or other marine species along the length of the cable route

Installation – Foreshore & Intertidal zones

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) will be used to avoid adverse environmental effects. Drilling underneath the foreshore minimizes disturbance to marine foreshore areas. As a result, the intertidal zone will be undisturbed by cable installation.

Installation – Terrestrial

Beyond the intertidal zone, buried cables will generally be buried along road rights-of-way and will connect to  the HVDC converter stations.

The preferred land route was chosen because it:

• Utilizes existing municipal or park rights-of-way
• Has limited environmental impact

Prior to the construction of highway, road, and railway crossings, Sea Breeze will obtain all necessary permits and crossing agreements. All crossings will meet specified requirements for burial depth and any open cut crossings will conform to the backfill and compaction standards of the applicable permitting agency and/or municipality.

Sea Breeze intends to bore under highways and railroads where feasible and required. The cables will be protected with concrete for the entire length of railway, highway or arterial road crossings as required by the permitting agency.

Features of HVDC Light® cable installation:

• Narrow (0.5 - 3 meters/1.5 - 10 feet), linear footprint
• Can avoid sensitive environmental features and areas
• Mitigates concerns over archaeological resources
• Flexible solutions in developed areas: minimal disruption and noise
• Cables allow for development (structures, other installations) in very close proximity (1.5m/5ft or less in some cases)