Underwater Fiber Optic Cable On Ocean Floor

SUBMARINE CABLE
RECOVERY & RECYCLING

OEC buys out-of-Service submarine cables, lifts them and recycles 99% of the materials.

Offering

OEC buys Out-of-Service cables

OEC acquires Telegraph, Coaxial and Fibre-Optic subsea cables, both Deep-Sea and Shore-End, for the purposes of recovery. By doing so, we free up space on the ocean floor for new cables on proven routes.

Turn-Key Solutions

OEC offers cable owners a suite of decommissioning options for Subsea cables tailored to their needs and obligations, including taking over whole cable systems including all risks and liabilities.

OEC sells recycled products

Through the operational procedures of subsea cable recovery, dismantling and recycling, OEC returns the materials with renewed value back into industrial use as secondary raw materials. All of our recycled materials are of the highest quality, providing a viable alternative to virgin materials.

What we do

•With our own vessels and in-house designed recovery equipments, OEC is able to recover any submarine cable from any depth in any ocean or sea.
•OEC recovers any cable either for recycling or re-use purposes.
•OEC can also perform Pre-Lay Grapnel Runs (PLGR) and other cable maintenance services (e.g. End-seal solution)
•OEC vessels are also suitable for transporting new cable systems

OEC recovers Deep-Sea cable

•OEC takes over Shore-End leases, permits & bonds thereby relieving owners of ongoing liabilities with a redundant system
•With our in-house Shore-End team, OEC is able to offer a complete turn key solution for the removal of Shore-Ends including the Beach Manhole.
•This service includes desk top studies, permits and marine licences, environmental assesment reports, and cable recovery plans.

OEC does Shore-End removal globally

•With a dedicated team who specialise in depot clearance logistics on a global scale, OEC is able to offer removal and recycling of spare parts
•OEC can include removal of spares including cables, UJ kits, branching units and repeaters.

OEC facilitates Depot clearances

•OEC recycling plants are equipped with automatic dismantling lines and able to handle all Out-of-Service communication cables.
•From the earliest Telegraph cable to the most modern Fiber-optic cable, including their repeater, OEC can recycle all the valuable materials with minimum waste.
•Repeaters and branching units are fully recycled in house or externally to the highest European standards. In case of small hazardous sources, OEC works closely with European certified partners.
•OEC offers asset reuse on certain cables, thereby ensuring the shortest route to circularity.

OEC does its own recycling

Our unique approach to cable dismantling and separation allows OEC to achieve a significantly higher quality of recovered raw materials, reaching the level of virgin materials.

•Plastics: Our plastics are 100% pure and do not contain any other polymers. We offer two types of plastic regranulates: High-density polyethylene (HDPE) low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with exceptional quality and versatility for various applications.
•Steel: Matching the quality of virgin materials, our recycled steel offers a wide range of applications, from construction and infrastructure to automotive and manufacturing.
•Copper & Aluminum: With a high purity of over 99.7%, OECs copper and aluminum recyclates generate strong interest from foundries that are among the biggest players in the market.

All our products are rigorously certified and produced to the highest standards, ensuring consistent quality and performance.

OEC offers recycled products of highest quality

About Us

Oceanic Environmental Cables GmbH

Oceanic Environmental Cables GmbH (OEC), headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, overlooking the historic port, is Europe’s first cable recovery and recycling company offering sustainable end-to-end solutions for the Out-of-Service subsea cable industry. With an international team across London, Seville, Amsterdam, Hanoi, and Singapore, we combine global reach with local expertise.

Our Mission: A Circular Economy for Subsea Cables

Since 2021, OEC has pioneered a unique, carbon-free, and patent-pending recycling methodology. We dismantle, separate, and sort all components of Telegraph, Coaxial, and Fiber Optic cables, meeting all present and foreseeable future European environmental standards. In 2022/2023, we acquired over 45,000 km of cables globally, including extensive networks in the Mediterranean.

Minimum Waste, Maximum Value

We recover and recycle all cables, repeaters & spare units, repurposing or remanufacturing them back into the value chain. By doing so, OEC creates a complete circular economic model, minimizing waste and maximizing resource utilization.

Committed to the Highest Standards

OEC keeps up to date with the latest marine and terrestrial environmental and procedural standards, guaranteeing to comply with them in the execution of our services. OEC is a member of the International Cable Protection Committee, and our approaches and compliances with the highest international standards.

Jayne Stowell

Chairman

“As the first member of its subsea cable team during my lengthy tenure at Google, I have led the conception, negotiation and construction of numerous cable systems on nearly all of the major international routes. My focus has now turned to the end stages of a cable’s life-cycle: the responsible recovery of retired cables and recycling them into their component materials.”

Horst Brockmüller

CEO

“OEC will be the most reliable, efficient global Out-of-Service cable company.”

Arne de Jong

COO

“Since 2003, when I transported my first submarine cable, I have been intrigued by the magic of the backbone of today’s internet. I am thrilled to be part of a magnificent team that creates a sustainable solution for cables that reach the end of their life.”

Bobby Melville

CCO

''OEC stands out as a truly distinctive company, successfully harmonizing People, Planet, and Profit. Leveraging my background in client and partnerships management, coupled with expertise in circular economy strategies, I am excited to contribute to the future of the business.''

Quynh Nguyen

SUSTAINABILITY

“Focus on minimizing our footprints, I work to ensure we have minimal impacts on the environment throughout our operations.”

Management Team

OECs methods of recovery and recycling Out-of-Service Cables is vital to lay the basis of a full circle economy for the subsea telecommunication industry. By offering up-cycled secondary raw LDPE, HDPE, copper, aluminum and steel materials instead of mining and manufacturing virgin materials, OEC saves over 60% of Green House Gas emissions for all partners and clients involved in their respective areas in the circular economy.

News

OEC News Flash

We’re excited to announce that Elli F, OEC’s first cable recovery vessel, will be ready in Q3 this year for its first project! Designed specifically

2025-07-15 No Comments

OEC at SubOptic 2025

We are extremely proud to share that our very own Quynh D Nguyen, Lead Environmental Officer at OEC, won the Best Newcomer Presentation Award at

2025-07-11 No Comments

Get in touch

Feel free to give us a call or drop by anytime, we try to answer all questions within 24 hours on business days. We will be happy to answer your questions.

Our Address:

Bei den St. Pauli Landungsbrücken 3, 20359 Hamburg, Germany

Our Email:

info@oecops.com

Our Phone:

+49 (0)40 3037 4835