Significant floating wind project awards Aratellus the Geophysical Survey
Major steppingstone project TwinHub secured a 15-year revenue support from the UK Government for the first floating offshore wind project in the Celtic Sea. The offshore site investigation works have now commenced. The first phase of the survey works has been awarded to Aratellus Offshore Limited, who is subcontracting Sulmara Subsea Limited, to perform the geophysical survey.
The TwinHub Floating Offshore Wind Farm site is located 16km off the coast of Hayle in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The investigation works represent a significant milestone for the project, which is set to be the first ever floating offshore wind farm to be built in the Celtic Sea, having been successfully awarded a Contract for Difference in July’s auction round. The survey vessel Vos Sweet mobilised from the port of Falmouth on the 17th of August, with field operations anticipated to last between 2-3 weeks.
The survey has been commissioned through the European Marine Energy Centre Ltd. (EMEC) as part of the AFLOWT Project[1] and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The geophysical survey's goal is to make it possible to plan subsea routes, inspect existing cables, and perform FEED and detailed design of mooring anchors and chains. Side Scan Sonar (SSS), Sub-Bottom Profiler (SBP), Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), and Magnetometer are among the tools that will be used.
The results of the final project will be used to progress the Front End Engineering Design for the TwinHub project, which is developed by Hexicon and supported by Bechtel. The project will see the deployment of Hexicon’s patented TwinWind® technology, which is expected to be the first duel turbine floating foundation deployed at large scale globally.
“We are extremely excited to launch the geophysical works for TwinHub and really looking forward to working with Aratellus Offshore Limited and Sulmara Subsea Limited to get the most out of the surveys. This is yet another crucial milestone moving the project forward,” said James Brown, Managing Director TwinHub Ltd.
“ This is a significant step for Aratellus and we are excited to be working with TwinHub to deliver the first phase of this site investigation. Partnering with Sulmara has allowed us to provide a responsive and flexible offering tailored to suite the specific survey requirements”. – Lance Hanson, General Manager
“ This contract award represents an important milestone for Sulmara in the region. We look forward to demonstrating our capabilities and expertise while playing our part in bring floating wind to the Celtic Sea.” – Andy Nicol, EA Regional Director
[1] AFLOWT is the Accelerating market uptake of Floating Offshore Wind Technology project https://www.nweurope.eu/projects/project-search/aflowt-accelerating-market-uptake-of-floating-offshore-wind-technology/
[1] AFLOWT is the Accelerating market uptake of Floating Offshore Wind Technology project https://www.nweurope.eu/projects/project-search/aflowt-accelerating-market-uptake-of-floating-offshore-wind-technology/