At the beginning of 2010, Fugro-Rovtech was awarded a contract by SubOcean to provide work-class ROV services onboard the Construction Support Vessel, the Normand Mermaid. The work was to support ongoing installation support on the Thanet Windfarm UK.
We supplied Sealion 40 a workclass ROV one the fleet based in Aberdeen. Since our mobilisation we have carried out an export power cable inspection and supported cable installations. The low profile, compact design and high power of the Sealion has helped by offering as wide an operating envelope as possible in the high water currents and low visibility. The Sealion ROVs advanced communications modules and fiber optic communications allowed Fugro Seacore’s jack-up barge Excalibur also at Thanet, the simultaneous operation of multi-beam echo-sounders (MBES), 2-D sonars and a Cable Tracker Unit. Our offshore crew also commented that the visibility was so bad; they could not understand why they had bothered fitting the ROV with lights and cameras!
The Thanet wind farm is completing its construction phase about 7 miles (11 km) off the coast of Kent in southern England. The complete project will cover an area of 35 km2. When it is complete this will one of the largest operational offshore wind farms in the World. The Thanet project is expected to have a total capacity of up to 300 MW which is sufficient to supply approximately 240,000 homes. The project will make a significant contribution to the UK Government’s national and regional renewable energy targets. Several other Fugro companies have been involved in this project including Fugro Seacore who used their jack-up barge, the Excalibur to install the offshore Met mast. Additional work with Subocean on the Greater Gabbard field has been won and in July Fugro mobilised another Sealion onboard the cable installation barge UR101.
For further information please contact:
David (Jock) Nicol, Sales and Marketing Manager,
Telephone: +44 (0) 1224 257 600 / Mobile: +44 (0) 7768508139 Fax:+44 (0) 1224 853 900
E-mail: d.nicol@fugro.com / Website: www.fugrosubsea.co.uk
Address: Fugro House, Denmore Road, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, AB23 8JW, United Kingdom