Case 10-T-0139

Hearing Exhibit 12
Page 1 of 14

Champlain Hudson Power Express Project

Exhibit E-3

Underground Construction
 Case 10-T-0139
Hearing Exhibit 12
Page 2 of 14

EXHIBIT E-3
UNDERGROUND CONSTRUCTION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXHIBIT E-3: UNDERGROUND CONSTRUCTION................................................ E-3-1

E-3.1 SYSTEM OVERVIEW ....................................................................................... E-3-1
E-3.2 CABLE TYPE AND DESIGN STANDARDS ................................................... E-3-2
E-3.3 CABLE INSTALLATION TECHNIQUES ........................................................ E-3-2
E-3.3.1 Underground Cable Installation Methodology ................................................ E-3-3
E-3.3.1.1 Excavated Trenches ................................................................................. E-3-3
E-3.3.1.2 Horizontal Directional Drilling................................................................ E-3-4
E-3.3.2 Underwater Cable Installation Methodology................................................... E-3-5
E-3.3.2.1 Water Jetting ............................................................................................ E-3-6
E-3.3.2.2 Plowing .................................................................................................... E-3-8
E-3.3.3 Non-Burial Installation .................................................................................... E-3-9
E-3.3.4 Infrastructure Crossing Installation.................................................................. E-3-9
E-3.3.4.1 Crossing of Fiber Optic and Telecommunication Cables ...................... E-3-10
E-3.3.4.2 Crossing of Gas or Oil Pipelines, or Power Cables ............................... E-3-11
E-3.3.4.3 Crossings of Other Infrastructure Types................................................ E-3-12

FIGURES

Figure E-3-1 Drilling the Pilot Hole...................................................................................... E-3-4

Figure E-3-2 Reaming of the Pilot Hole................................................................................ E-3-5
Figure E-3-3 Pipe String Pullback......................................................................................... E-3-5
Figure E-3-4 Typical Water Jet Trench................................................................................. E-3-6
Figure E-3-5 Nexans Skagerrak Cable Laying Vessel .......................................................... E-3-7
Figure E-3-6 Nexans CAPJET 1 MW Cable Trenching System .......................................... E-3-7
Figure E-3-7 Nexans CAPJET 50 cable Trenching System.................................................. E-3-8
Figure E-3-8 Typical Infrastructure Crossing Protective Measures...................................... E-3-9
Figure E-3-9 Typical Telecommunications Cable Crossing ............................................... E-3-10
Figure E-3-10 Typical Pipeline or Power Cable Crossing .................................................... E-3-11

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. i Exhibit E-3: Underground Construction

Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII Application
 Case 10-T-0139
Hearing Exhibit 12
Page 3 of 14

EXHIBIT E-3: UNDERGROUND CONSTRUCTION

E-3.1 SYSTEM OVERVIEW

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. (CHPEI) proposes to develop the Champlain Hudson
Power Express Project (the Project). The Project is a 2,000 megawatt (MW) high-voltage direct
current (HVDC) Voltage Source Converter (VSC) controllable transmission system, comprising
two 1,000 MW HVDC bipoles. Each bipole includes two cables connected as a bipole pair; each
bipole will at all times utilize its partner in the bipole pair as a metallic return. As a result, the
ground will never be used as a return. In total, four HVDC cables will be laid between the
Canadian border and New York City. Two of these HVDC cables will terminate at Yonkers,
New York, while the other two will continue to Bridgeport, Connecticut. See Exhibit 2 for
detailed mapping that identifies the location of all Project facilities.

HVDC converter stations will be installed at Yonkers, New York and Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Each of these HVDC converter stations will have a nominal rating of 1,000 MW and will be of a
“compact type” (Siemens HVDC Plus™ or ABB HVDC Light™). HVDC Plus™ or HVDC
Light™ technology has been selected for its small converter station footprint, and the control
mode will normally be “constant power control” from Quebec to New York City and from
Quebec to Connecticut.

In Canada, Hydro-Québec (HQ) will own two HVDC converter stations that will be sited close
to HQ’s existing 735/315 kilovolt (kV) alternating current (AC) Hertel substation in
Quebec. From the Hertel converter stations, HVDC transmission cables owned by HQ will
traverse an approximate 35-mile route south to the international border between the United
States and Canada, where these HQ owned cables will connect to the cables of the Project. The
transmission route within the United States begins at the international border within Lake
Champlain and continues south for approximately 110 miles to the entrance of the Champlain
Canal. Four HVDC underwater cables (two bipoles) will be installed within New York
jurisdictional waters of Lake Champlain along a relatively direct (straight north to south) route
that facilitates the depths required for cable-laying vessels while also avoiding the deepest
portions of the lake.

Within the Champlain Canal, the cables will remain underwater within the bed of the Canal.
However, underground transmission cable bypass routes will be necessary to circumvent Lock
C12 in Whitehall and Lock C11 in Fort Ann. These bypass sections will have a combined length
of approximately 2.1 miles. In each of these bypasses, the Project cables will be buried
underground within an existing railroad right-of-way to keep the environmental impacts of the
Project to an absolute minimum. The cables will also use a 0.5 mile underground route on New
York State Canal Corporation (Canal Corp) land to bypass Lock C9. There is no Lock C10.

Further south, an underground bypass will also be necessary north of the confluence of the
Champlain Canal and the Hudson River to avoid activities associated with the Upper Hudson
River Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Dredging Project south of Fort Edward. To avoid this
area of the Hudson River, the transmission cables will exit the Champlain Canal near Lock C8 to
railroad rights-of-way for a distance of approximately 69.9 miles. From the railroad bypass, the

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. E-3-1 Exhibit E-3: Underground Construction
Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII Application
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cables will enter the Hudson River in the Town of Coeymans, downstream from the City of
Albany, New York.

South of the Town of Coeymans, the cables will run in the bed of the Hudson River towards the
New York City metropolitan area. Two cables (one bipole) will terminate 319 miles south of the
international border at the Yonkers converter station to be constructed at a property located in
Yonkers, New York. The remaining two cables (one bipole) will continue another 66 miles
through the Hudson River, Harlem River, East River, and Long Island Sound across the New
York/Connecticut border, to a terminus in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The Yonkers converter station will be connected by approximately 6.6 miles of double-circuit
345 kV AC cable which will terminate at a new step-down 345/138 kV AC transformer
substation adjacent to and tied into the existing Consolidated Edison Company of New York,
Inc. (Con Edison) Sherman Creek substation, near the intersection of West 201st Street and 9th
Avenue, in the Borough of Manhattan. The 345 kV AC cable system will follow the same path
through the Hudson and Harlem Rivers as the two HVDC cables to Bridgeport, Connecticut.

E-3.2 CABLE TYPE AND DESIGN STANDARDS

Two cable systems will be used for this Project, a 300 kV DC cable and a 345 kV AC cable.

The 300 kV DC solid dielectric, cross-link polyethylene (XLPE) cable system has been selected
for the Project. As described above, four HVDC cables will be laid between the Canadian border
and New York City. Two of these HVDC cables will terminate at Yonkers, New York, while the
other two continue to Bridgeport, Connecticut. CHPEI selected an XLPE cable system because
it meets the Project's electrical transmission requirements and does not involve the use of
dielectric fluid that presents a risk of environmental impact.

The Yonkers converter station will be connected by approximately 6.6 miles of double-circuit
345 kV AC cable which will terminate at a new step-down 345/138 kV AC transformer
substation adjacent to the existing Con Edison Sherman Creek substation.

Detailed information on the DC and AC cable systems including type, design standards, number,
and size, is provided in Exhibit E-1. Typical design drawings showing the depth of the cables is
provided in Exhibit 5.

E-3.3 CABLE INSTALLATION TECHNIQUES

For the underground portions of the Project route, the cables will be buried via excavated
trenches or Horizontal Directional Drill (HDD) methods. For underwater cable installation, the
primary methods for installation will be water jetting and/or mechanical plowing. A detailed
description of the construction methods is provided in Section 4.1 of Exhibit 4. A summary of
those methods is provided in the following paragraphs.

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. E-3-2 Exhibit E-3: Underground Construction
Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII Application
 Case 10-T-0139
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Cable installation techniques utilized along the Project’s HVDC transmission cable route vary
based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, sediment type and hardness,
bathymetry, and infrastructure crossings.

Sediment types along the lake, canal, river and marine portions of the route influence underwater
cable design and protection requirements (Exhibit 4, Section 4.6 and Appendix D). The
substrate composition and its associated cable installation methods will vary along the
underwater cable route. For example, stiff clay sediments can hinder underwater cable burial
and can affect heat dissipation and cable performance. Rock outcroppings and areas of bedrock
prevent cable burial and often require additional cable protection measures to prevent excess
wear and cable fatigue. Silt, sand, and gravely sands are the preferred sediment types along the
underwater portion of the cable route; therefore, the cable route has been sited within the
preferred sediment types wherever possible.

Bathymetry is also an important factor to consider during underwater cable burial, protection,
and installation. Steep or abrupt underwater bathymetry makes cable installation more difficult
and can affect underwater cable design and life-span performance.

Analysis of existing HVDC cable projects indicate that, once properly installed and
commissioned, the vast majority of failures occur from external causes, not from manufacturing
defects within the cable itself. For land cables, external damage is usually caused by excavators
digging without checking the location of buried cables. For submarine cables, external
mechanical damage is primarily caused by fishing trawls or from ships’ anchors. Therefore, the
Project’s cables will be buried at appropriate depths to avoid external mechanical damage. The
depth of burial and any other means of protection will be site specific, varying along the cable
route.

Cable routes and installation technologies were selected to minimize environmental impacts.
The HVDC cables will be installed underground or underwater along the entire Project
route. The 6.6-mile HVAC cable system from the converter station in Yonkers, New York to the
interconnection at the proposed Sherman Creek transformer substation will be underwater.

E-3.3.1 Underground Cable Installation Methodology

E-3.3.1.1 Excavated Trenches

For the underground routes, typically, two cables within each bipole system will be laid side-by-
side (approximately 3 feet apart) in an excavated trench approximately 3 feet deep. Subsequent
to laying, the trenches will be back-filled with low thermal resistivity material. The top
protection will be a concrete cover or a layer of weak concrete. Where two bipole transmission
systems are present, two trenches will be required, and the trenches will be separated by
approximately 12 feet.

Each of the four underground cables will require a number of splices which require a flat pad
underneath, but otherwise are installed in a similar fashion as the underground cable itself. The
number of splices will be kept to a minimum and will be determined either by the maximum

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. E-3-3 Exhibit E-3: Underground Construction
Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII Application
 Case 10-T-0139
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length of cable that can be transported in a single piece or by the maximum length of cable that
can be pulled, whichever is the least.

E-3.3.1.2 Horizontal Directional Drilling

HDD is a common technique used for transmission cable installation projects to minimize
environmental impacts. Additionally, it is a preferred technology because surface disruption is
minimized, restoration costs (roads, infrastructure) are minimized, impact on residents and
businesses are minimized, and it minimizes the need for earth removal and long-term costs of
trench settlement. HDD is a trenchless method for installing products that serve as a conduit for
liquids and gasses, or as a duct for pipe, cable, or wire line products. The technology is used in
many situations including the following: lake crossings, wetland crossings, canal and
watercourse crossings, valley crossings, sensitive wildlife habitat, and road and railway
crossings. HDD is a multi-stage process composed of the four steps listed below and further
depicted by Figures E-3-1, E-3-2, and E-3-3.

• Pre-site planning;
• Drilling a pilot hole;
• Expanding the pilot hole by reaming;
• Pull back of drill string with simultaneous installation of conduit; and
• Cable pull through conduit.

Figure E-3-1
Drilling the Pilot Hole

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. E-3-4 Exhibit E-3: Underground Construction
Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII Application
 Case 10-T-0139
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Figure E-3-2
Reaming of the Pilot Hole

Figure E-3-3
Pipe String Pullback

Cable installation will be site-specific at each crossing point, but typical examples of cable
installation techniques along railroad and roadway crossings are shown in Exhibit 5, Design
Drawings.

Because both poles are typically on opposite sides of the rail line there will be four directional
drills per obstruction. These will show as directionally drilled and installed high density
polyethylene (HDPE) casings. Within each casing are individual HVDC cables. The remaining
void is to be filled with low thermal-resistivity material.

E-3.3.2 Underwater Cable Installation Methodology

Underwater cables will be installed within the Lake Champlain lakebed, Champlain Canal,
Hudson River, Harlem River, East River, and Long Island Sound using various methods,
including:

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. E-3-5 Exhibit E-3: Underground Construction
Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII Application
 Case 10-T-0139
Hearing Exhibit 12
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E-3.3.2.1 Water Jetting

The cables will generally be buried using the environmentally sensitive (low-impact) and
technically proven burial method called “water jetting.” This trenching technique combines the
effect of fluidizing the sediments and hydrodynamic transport of the fluidized material. The
bottom material is fluidized by low water pressure jets released from the front of the trenching
equipment. The fluidized material is then transported backwards using other jetting
nozzles. The cable sinks by its own weight into the trench before the fluidized material is
allowed to settle and start the backfilling process.

The cable will be installed at an average depth of 4 feet except when occupying or crossing the
navigational channel when depths as much as 15 feet below the bottom of the navigation channel
may be required (Figure E-3-4). During the laying operation, data including the vessel position,
cable tension, and angle at lay wheel, laying speed and water depth will be continuously
monitored from the vessel.

Figure E-3-4
Typical Water Jet Trench

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. E-3-6 Exhibit E-3: Underground Construction
Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII Application
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Because shallow waters will be encountered along the cable route, two different types of vessels
and water jetting equipment will be used for laying the underwater cables. For deep waters a
specially designed cable-laying vessel will be used for transportation and installation of the
underwater cables (Figure E-3-5).

Figure E-3-5
Nexans Skagerrak Cable Laying Vessel

The vessel has a cable loading capacity of approximately 7,000 metric tonnes depending on the
cable being used. This vessel is expected to be used for installation in the navigational channel
of the Hudson, which is approximately 31 feet up to the Port of Albany. The vessel is equipped
with a fully redundant Dynamic Positioning (DP) system that allows precise control of the cable
of the cable installation to ensure that the cables are installed within the designed location. The
proposed trenching equipment to be used in laying the cable is Nexans’ CAPJET 1 MW (Figure
E-3-6).

Figure E-3-6
Nexans CAPJET 1 MW Cable Trenching System

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. E-3-7 Exhibit E-3: Underground Construction
Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII Application
 Case 10-T-0139
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The CAPJET 1 MW is a small, lightweight trenching system that has the same operational,
maneuvering, and electronic transmission capacity as modern large remote operated vehicles
(ROVs). The unit is operational in water depths to approximately 650 meters and has a
trenching depth of more than 2 meters.

In shallow waters along the route, such as in Lake Champlain and the Champlain Canal, the
cable-laying procedure will be similar to the DP vessel; however a vessel designed for the New
York State Canal system must be used. The practical limit for a basket plus cable is in the range
of 300 to 500 metric tonnes. Comprehensive engineering work is required to design a vessel and
cable-laying equipment in order to optimize this part of the installation. It is assumed that a
barge towed by a tug could be used for these sections. However if a more precise laying
operation is required, the barge can be equipped with several outboard azimuth thrusters. The
CAPJET 50 trenching system (Figure E-3-7) is proposed for use in such shallow waters.

Figure E-3-7
Nexans CAPJET 50 cable Trenching System

The underwater cable will be delivered from the factory in continuous lengths and loaded
directly onto the revolving turntable on the vessel. The cable system location and burial depth
will be recorded during installation for use in preparation of as-built location plans. The
information will be forwarded to appropriate organizations as required for inclusion on future
navigation charts.

E-3.3.2.2 Plowing

For sections where water jetting is not possible, plowing may be necessary. For the plowing
technique, a trench is made for the cable by pulling a plow, in a similar way to land-plowing, and
the cable is laid in the trench, either at the same time or in a subsequent pass of the cable-laying

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. E-3-8 Exhibit E-3: Underground Construction
Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII Application
 Case 10-T-0139
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vessel. Usually, the bottom sediment is allowed to back-fill the trench over the cable by natural
wave or river flows.

E-3.3.3 Non-Burial Installation

In limited areas along the Project route, surficial geology may not permit cable burial depths
within the canal/river/seabed for adequate cable protection. In these areas, the HVDC cables will
be laid on the canal/river/seabed with protective coverings, such as concrete rip-rap or
mats. This type of cable installation and protection will also be used for certain infrastructure
crossings as further described below.

E-3.3.4 Infrastructure Crossing Installation

The HVDC underwater cable route encounters numerous areas where existing submarine
infrastructure (e.g., electric cables, gas pipelines, ferry cables, etc.) will need to be
crossed. There are several different installation techniques that can be utilized when crossing
existing infrastructure based the type, burial depth, and existing protective coverings of the
infrastructure. In many cases, it is anticipated that the underwater cables will be laid over the
existing infrastructure with protective coverings (e.g., concrete rip-rap or concrete mats). The
design of utility crossings will follow industry standards. An overview of typical methods for
crossing of utilities is shown in Figure E-3-8 below.

Crossing of utilities owned by a third party, such as existing and planned cables and pipelines,
will require formal crossing agreements to be made. The design of the protection at these
crossings will be subject to such agreements. Detailed discussions on methodologies and safety
issues will be conducted with the owners of these infrastructures.

Figure E-3-8
Typical Infrastructure Crossing Protective Measures

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. E-3-9 Exhibit E-3: Underground Construction
Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII Application
 Case 10-T-0139
Hearing Exhibit 12
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E-3.3.4.1 Crossing of Fiber Optic and Telecommunication Cables

Wherever possible, the HVDC cables will cross existing fiber optic and telecommunication
cables at right-angles, extending approximately 150 to 300 feet in length. The method of
embedding and protection will be determined by the burial depth of the existing cables.

A minimum separation between the Project’s transmission cable and the existing
telecommunication cables will be provided by installing a protective sleeve on the cable at each
crossing. The protective sleeve will extend for approximately 50 and 80 feet on each side of the
crossing point. The HVDC cables, including the section with sleeve protection, will be buried by
water jetting or plowing to the specified depth, or as limited by the actual burial depths of the
existing cables.

In some cases, existing telecommunication cables are buried less than 3 feet; therefore, special
measures may be utilized at the crossing site. Potential measures used for crossing shallow
buried existing utilities may include the following: the use of protective sleeves on the HVDC
cables along with burial until touching the existing cables, increasing the burial depth of the
existing cables by water jetting at the crossing point prior to installing the HVDC cables, or
cutting and re-splicing the telecommunication cables after installing the HVDC cables. A typical
telecommunications crossing is shown in Figure E-3-9 below.

Figure E-3-9
Typical Telecommunications Cable Crossing

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. E-3-10 Exhibit E-3: Underground Construction
Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII Application
 Case 10-T-0139
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E-3.3.4.2 Crossing of Gas or Oil Pipelines, or Power Cables

Where the HVDC cables cross existing pipelines or power cables, the HVDC cables will cross
the existing infrastructure at right-angles extending for approximately 300 feet on each side of
the crossing point, wherever possible. The method of cable embedding and protection will be
determined by the burial depth of the existing infrastructure.

For deep-buried pipelines or cables, a protective sleeve will be applied to the HVDC cables at
each crossing to provide a minimum separation between the HVDC cables and the existing
infrastructure. The sleeve will be installed for up to 80 feet to ensure that it will target the
crossing point. The HVDC cables, including the portion with sleeve protection, will be buried
by water jetting or plowing to the target depth or as limited by the actual burial depths of the
existing pipeline or cable.

For shallow buried pipelines or cables, a minimum separation between the HVDC cable and the
pipeline or cable will be provided by pre-installing a 150 millimeters (mm) thick grout filled mat
on top of the infrastructure at each crossing. The power cable and pipeline will be post-lay
protected by further grout filled mats (Figure E-3-10). The HVDC cables will be buried to the
target depth, up to as close to the crossing-point mats as practical.

Figure E-3-10
Typical Pipeline or Power Cable Crossing

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. E-3-11 Exhibit E-3: Underground Construction
Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII Application
 Case 10-T-0139
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E-3.3.4.3 Crossings of Other Infrastructure Types

A “chain-ferry” operates across the proposed underwater cable route within Lake Champlain.
The chain ferry utilizes ferry cables laid on the bottom of Lake Champlain. The normal
penetration of the ferry cables into the seabed will be assessed, and if deemed necessary,
additional protection in the form of deeper burial at the crossing point or the use of an outer
protection sleeve against abrasion will be considered. The ferry cables will be temporarily
removed to facilitate the installation of the underwater cables. The ferry cables will then be
replaced over the top of the transmission cables. The ferry cables are replaced every four years;
therefore, there may be an opportunity to coordinate the cable installation schedule with the ferry
cable replacement schedule. Detailed coordination and discussions will be required with the
ferry operator on methodologies and scheduling.

The underwater cable will be routed beneath overhead infrastructures, including road bridges and
electrical transmission lines. These will not be of concern for the cable systems once in
operation, but the superstructure on the cable-laying vessels will be designed to take account of
any height restrictions.

Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. E-3-12 Exhibit E-3: Underground Construction
Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII Application