project brief

Hudson Bay Cable Study

category

Commercial

client

Ambra Solutions

start date

March 2017

end date

April 2017

location

Hudson Bay, Canada

the challenge

WFN Strategies conducted the first-ever submarine cable desktop study in Hudson Bay to explore connectivity options for mining operations in Canada’s far north. With Ambra Solutions and Agnico Eagle Mines as partners, the team needed to propose wireless underwater routing between remote Nunavut and Manitoba locations—without direct physical surveys. The Arctic environment presented unique challenges such as sea ice, minimal data availability, and a lack of existing subsea infrastructure.

Working with limited publicly available chart data and existing seabed maps, the WFN team leveraged its Arctic experience to generate accurate preliminary route alignments and chartlets. In addition, a budgetary component-level costing estimate was needed to support feasibility recommendations for future procurement and field validation. The desktop nature of this project required rapid yet reliable outputs to inform decisions in a cost-effective, time-sensitive manner.

project goals

  • Produce a desktop (eDTS) feasibility and route study for a first-of-its-kind Hudson Bay cable

  • Generate preliminary route charts and metadata using public data sources

  • Develop component-level cost estimates to support budgeting and decision-making

  • Provide mine-to-grid connectivity planning for remote mining operations

  • Establish a foundation for future marine surveys and full field implementation

the result

WFN Strategies delivered a structured eDTS report outlining route options, metadata-driven insights, chartlets, and cost projections for Ambra Solutions and Agnico Eagle Mines. This desktop study set the stage for potential subsea cable investment and positioned WFN as an innovator in applying Arctic submarine expertise to the mining sector. The work underscored WFN’s ability to provide high-quality, preliminary infrastructure planning—even in the absence of physical data—helping clients assess feasibility before committing to field operations.

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