Hidden Lifelines: Protecting Critical Underwater Infrastructure

A relatively recent incident highlighted the importance of critical underwater infrastructure, which includes underwater pipelines and cables. They play a crucial role in our daily lives. Underwater pipelines transport essential resources, such as natural gas and oil, from offshore production sites to onshore facilities. This ensures a steady energy supply worldwide. 

Underwater cables transmit telecommunications signals, such as internet and data, across vast distances, forming the backbone of global connectivity. This infrastructure is vital for maintaining energy distribution, supporting the digital economy, and keeping the world connected.

Let’s go deeper…

Baltic Sea Pipeline Incident Reveals Underwater Infrastructure Vulnerabilities

The world received another stark reminder of the fragility of our underwater infrastructure in October 2023. A Baltic Sea gas pipeline was damaged, allegedly by a Hong Kong-flagged container ship, Newnew Polar Bear. 

“China has admitted for the first time that Hong Kong-flagged container ship Newnew Polar Bear is responsible for the damage inflicted to a Baltic Sea gas pipeline in October…The Balticconnector gas pipeline was closed on October 8 after pressure quickly fell, alerting the operator to the leak. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said an ‘external activity’ was behind the breach to the Finland-Estonia link, as well as damage to two telecom cables,” as reported by Newsweek.

Forbes reports that the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation announced that they retrieved an anchor embedded in the seabed next to the damaged pipeline in cooperation with the Finnish Navy and Border Guard, but Windward’s platform shows that the Newnew Polar Bear vessel ship was sailing at approximately 10 knots and hadn’t anchored near the area.

This incident is just one example of how crucial it is to remain vigilant regarding the world’s underwater infrastructure.

Underwater Cables: a Crucial Component of Critical Infrastructure

Underwater cables are pivotal in connecting continents and countries, literally and figuratively. 

As the U.S. Naval Institute explains, “The advent of the internet, WiFi, fiber optic cables, 5G, and satellite communications have dramatically changed the way the world stays connected and shares information…Today, there are approximately 750,000 miles of undersea cables stretching across the world’s oceans, and data management has become much more complex…Commercial undersea cable communications carry over 97 percent of all intercontinental electronic communications. Approximately $10 trillion in transactions and limitless information are transmitted through undersea cables in both civilian and government sector assets every day. Maintaining the security of undersea cables is paramount to the United States’ maritime strategic interests.”

Beyond communication, underwater pipelines transport vast amounts of oil and gas. They are also vital for offshore windfarms and for meeting the world’s energy demands. These pipelines are integral to national security, economic stability, and environmental protection. Any disruption to these systems via cable damage could result in catastrophic consequences, from energy shortages, to environmental disasters.

Extreme Vulnerability 

Despite their critical importance, the protection and monitoring of underwater infrastructure remain alarmingly inadequate in many parts of the world. This issue has become a central concern for national governments and security organizations. 

The incident involving Newnew Polar Bear illustrates how damage to infrastructure can occur without immediate detection, whether due to natural events, or human actions. These critical infrastructures are highly vulnerable.

It is important to be vigilant around the world’s underwater infrastructure. Our gas, internet, and many industries depend on it. How much attention, technology, or effort is currently involved? In many countries it seems unclear who’s supposed to monitor and attend to this issue. 

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