In Malta’s biggest harbor, a big electrification project is ongoing to energize cruise liners and cargo ships with clean electric energy instead of diesel fuel. For the intensive underwater works, contractor Pina Dalgıçlık İnşaat San and Trade is using an Atlas Copco handheld breaker and power pack. An ideal fit for the ultra-tough and unusual cable laying project.
Atlas Copco hydraulic breaker LH 390 is being used by a contractor in Malta to drill rocks underwater
Rock breaking projects on land are tough, but nothing your Atlas Copco handheld breaker can’t handle. Fracturing rocks underwater, on the other hand... now there’s a challenge of a much higher order. Just ask Pina Dalgıçlık İnşaat San and Trade (PDIST), a specialist underwater contractor based in Bakırköy, one of the oldest districts in Istanbul, Turkey.
The company is currently using Atlas Copco’s robust LH 390 pneumatic breaker for an intensive eight-month underwater electrical infrastructure project, as part of a wider effort to energize cruise liners and cargo ships across Turkey and Malta. The ‘Malta Medium Voltage Underwater Cable Laying’ project will enable vessels to plug into shoreside electricity to charge onboard systems while berthed at port, swapping out the need for fuel-dependency in place of clean electric.
Coupled with Atlas Copco’s LP 18-40PE Hydraulic Power Pack, the LH 390 handheld hydraulic breaker is being used to crush rocks beneath the water's surface in order to prepare the area for underwater electric cables. On land, the LP 18-40PE Hydraulic Power Pack transmits power to drive the submerged LH 390 breaker unit, which is tasked with the demanding job of fragmenting rocks and dislodging them from the ground to forge a clear path for the cables, which will transmit electricity to allotted on-land charging ports.
The Atlas Copco LH 390 hydraulic breaker is designed for tough applications
Atlas Copco hydraulic power pack LP 18-40PE and a breaker
The LH 390 handheld breaker is coated with premium water resistant, anti-corrosion and anti-rust paint, meaning it can be plunged in saline ocean water and remerge unscathed. Before use, the machine’s unparalleled robust design and high-quality components are also rigorously tested at Atlas Copco's in-house testing facility, ensuring it is suitable to weather any storm.
Vibro-reduction technology
The PDIST team is required to physically dive underwater to power their tools, which is why it is important to not only have a breaker unit that is tough enough to crack rocks underwater, but also easy to manoeuvre and work with. Fortunately, Atlas Copco’s LH 390 handheld breaker’s slim design and lightweight design offers a smooth user experience.
Mobility is one factor that is really critical to this operation; we are routinely diving into the water to remove rocks and debris from the seabed, then swimming back up to the surface again – all while operating and carrying our handheld breaker. The LH 390’s high power to weight ratio means we can get plenty done in a short space of time, improving our team’s productivity and enabling us to ‘crack’ on with our project with ease – pun intended.
The LH 390’s vibration reduction technology and low noise also means that PDIST can work comfortably for a full workday, without risking injury.
Once finalised, the project is predicted to reduce the emissions of visiting cruise liners and cargo ships significantly supporting the region’s electric and net zero transformation. PDIST is spending two months completing rock breaking work in Bandirma, Turkey, and another six months in Malta.
Preparing the soil for underwater rocks drilling with Atlas Copco LH390 hydraulic breaker
