// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Global Marine Systems say to the cable? You're hooked on me.
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications Offshore Renewables, Oil & Gas |
| Founded | 1850, Became independent business in 1999 |
| Headquarters | Chelmsford, England |
Area served | Global |
Number of employees | 700 |
| Parent | Keppel Corporation |
| Website | www |
Global Marine Group is a British-headquartered specialist provider of installation, maintenance and repairs of submarine communications cable for the telecommunications, oil & gas and deep sea research industries. To this end, they operate their own a fleet of vessels, ROVs and specialised subsea trenching and burial equipment.
History
[edit source]It was established in 1999 when Global Crossing purchased British Telecom and Cable & Wireless marine operations and merged them.[1] In 2004, Global Marine Systems was purchased by Bridgehouse Marine and was completely restructured.
In September 2014, GMS was acquired by HC2, and in 2020 by JF Lehman & Partners.[2][3] Historically, the company has a legacy of over 160 years of cable installation, stemming from the first telegraph cables laid in the 1850s.[citation needed]
Global Marine has a worldwide presence, with offices in Chelmsford, UK and Singapore; depots in Portland, UK; Bermuda; Victoria, Canada; Batangas, Philippines and Batam, Indonesia; Ships are stationed around the world to support both installation of new cables and the maintenance and protection of existing cables. The company is also involved in joint ventures with China Telecom and Huawei.[4]
Since 2002 Global Marine has become increasingly active in the installation of submarine power cables and gained significant market share in the European Offshore Renewables market, in addition to undertaking a number of large power interconnect projects.
The company was responsible for installing the cables connecting the turbines on a host of windfarm projects including Blythe (one of the first trial farms), Horns Rev 1 (the first major commercial windfarm in Denmark), Thornton Bank, Kentish Flats and others. To support this business Global Marine formed a subsidiary in 2011 called Global Marine Energy.
The development of the energy business included the opening of a new office in Middlesbrough and the construction of a specialist vessel, Cable Enterprise. The subsidiary company was sold to Prysmian Group, the world’s largest cable manufacturer at the time of sale, in September 2012.
Global Marine today focuses primarily on supporting the telecoms,[5] oil & gas[6] and deep sea research[7] markets. In March 2025, GMS was purchased by Keppel Corporation.[1][8]
Cable ships fleet
[edit source]
As of 2026, Global Marine Group operates a fleet of seven cable ships[9] that undertake the installation, maintenance and repair of submarine telecommunications cables.[10]
The C.S. Sovereign, C.S. Wave Sentinel, C.S. Cable Retriever, C.S. Cable Innovator and C.S. Atlantic Guardian are used for cable maintenance[11], while the C.S. Clipper[12] and C.S. Recorder are used to lay submarine cables.[13]
Global Marine has announced the signing of a contract with Colombo Dockyard for the construction of a new cable maintenance ship by the end of 2029.[14]
To lay, inspect and repair submarine cables, Global Marine Systems also operate a range of submarine vehicles from their vessels, such as the Atlas, ST200 and XT600 remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and Plough M and Hi Plough seabed ploughs.
References
[edit source]- 1 2 Global Marine Systems sold Ships Monthly May 2025 page 16
- ↑ "HC2 HOLDINGS ANNOUNCES DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT TO SELL GLOBAL MARINE GROUP, EXCLUDING THE HMN JOINT VENTURE, FOR $250 MILLION". 31 January 2020.
- ↑ "J.F. LEHMAN & COMPANY ACQUIRES GLOBAL MARINE GROUP". 2 March 2020.
- ↑ "Huawei Marine Joint Venture Launched". December 2008. Archived from the original on 2017-11-14. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
- ↑ "Telecoms overview". www.globalmarinesystems.com. Archived from the original on 2015-01-12.
- ↑ "Oil & Gas Overview". globalmarinesystems.com. Archived from the original on 2015-01-12.
- ↑ "Deep Sea Research Overview". globalmarinesystems.com. Archived from the original on 2015-01-12.
- ↑ Keppel Infrastructure Fund leads acquisition of subsea cable solutions provider Global Marine Group The Business Times 10 March 2025
- ↑ "Equasis Fleet Info – Global Marine Systems Ltd (IMO Company Number 1063315)". Equasis. European Maritime Safety Agency. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ "Vessels & Trenching Assets". Global Marine. Global Marine Systems. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ "Subsea Cable Maintenance". Global Marine. Global Marine Group. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ "Solstad Maritime ASA – Sale of CSV Normand Clipper". Solstad. Solstad Maritime ASA. 12 December 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ "Subsea Cable Installation". Global Marine. Global Marine Group. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ "Introducing Our Next-Generation Cable Maintenance Vessel". Global Marine. Global Marine Group. 27 July 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.