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Patented tech aims to pull power cables with 80% less digging
14 August 2025
UK utility contractor JSM Group developed a patented system designed to remove decommissioned, fluid-filled underground power cables without the need for full-length trenching.
Image: JSM Group
Called the Non-Intrusive Cable Extraction (NICE) system, the company said it views the proprietary tech and process as a gamechanger for trenchless excavation.
Developed in-house and now deployed on live projects nationwide, NICE replaces continuous open-cut excavation with a targeted “two-pit” approach. Instead of digging trenches, crews create small entry and exit pits along a straight section of cable, cap the ends to contain residual cable oil and extract the cable in a controlled pull.
JSM said the method reduces excavation volumes by 80–90% compared with conventional trenching, sharply cutting spoil generation, reinstatement needs, and site occupation time.
Additionally, by preventing oil leakage during removal, the process is said to eliminate a key contamination risk and supports 100% recycling of recovered conductors and materials.
The reduced excavation footprint also lowers noise, dust, traffic disruption, and heavy plant movements, making it suited to urban streets, environmentally sensitive sites, and areas with high permitting or lane-rental charges, JSM said.
UK-based National Grid Electricity Transmission and several UK Distribution Network Operators have approved the method for use in asset decommissioning programmes.
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