Fugro Subsea Services Ltd have been contracted to provide ROV services for offshore wind farm construction. The first ROV is now installed onboard the Stemat Spirit, a unique cable lay ship 90 m in length and 29 m beam specifically built to be able to lay high-voltage cable at sea from the shore to offshore wind farms. She is equipped with both dynamic positioning and anchors. The unique design makes her suited for both offshore deep water and near shore shallow water work.
To date existing cable installation ships have been built to operate mainly in deep water, and are not equipped to bring cable to the shore, and are not suited to work in the vicinity of the many sand banks of NW Europe, which are usually prime locations for offshore wind farms.
Stemat Spirit is also equipped with a cable plough for cable bury. In support of these operations the Fugro work class ROVs have been adapted and fitted with extra sensors to allow operations in conditions of low visibility and high tidal currents expected during cable installation projects. The ROV provides the eyes for the vessel plough; working ahead looking for obstructions, monitoring the cable touch down area and assisting during cable transits via J tubes located at the foundations of the wind turbine.
In the coming two years the vessel and her ROVs will be used in offshore wind farm projects in the United Kingdom, like Walney, Ormonde, Shoal and London Array.
Fugro Subsea Services Limited have also been contracted by Visser Smit to provide ROV services on Lay /Pull in Barge Stemat 82 which will be deployed deploying in-field cables and multi purpose barge Pontra Maris which will be used as a cable layer. The work class ROVs will assist with operations such as Post Lay Inspection (PLIB) and Pre-Lay Grapnel Runs (PLGR) where the seabed is surveyed and physically cleared of obstructions.
Future deployment is expected in other European countries like Germany, Belgium, Denmark and of course the Netherlands.
For Further information contact:
David (Jock) Nicol, Sales and Marketing Manager,
Telephone: +44 (0) 1224 257 600 / Mobile: +44 (0) 7768508139 Fax:+44 (0) 1224 853 905
E-mail: d.nicol@fugro.com / Website: www.fugrosubsea.co.uk
Address: Fugro House, Denmore Road, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, AB23 8JW, United Kingdom