In its seventh Allocation Round the UK executed the largest offshore wind auction in European history, putting pen to paper on 8.4GW of new capacity, enough to power 10 million homes. Allocation Round 8 is expected to be even more ambitious, as the UK looks to upgrade its radar systems to enable a 10GW installation, according to Windtech International.

Offshore wind projects require complete understanding of conditions on, and below, the seabed. As projects proliferate and demand for surveys and more accurate data becomes truly vast, the deployment of cutting edge technology becomes essential.

Uncrewed surface vessels patrolling the surface and remotely operated vehicles diving beneath the waves have been key to sustainable offshore operations. Not just in environmental terms and added human safety, but to achieve reasonable operational costs in increasingly asset-rich coastal seas.

From the early, specialised and small vehicles, designers and builders have increased size and diversified the capabilities of individual platforms. Today, a single craft can do much more. In this episode we look at the state-of-the-art in these vessels.

Guests

Roger Birchall, Technical Authority – Geophysics, SSE Renewables

Marco Gilisen, Global Director – Marine Geophysics, Fugro

Simon McIlroy, Survey Systems Architect, Fugro

Resources

To learn more about the Geo Risk Management Framework mentioned in the episode, listen to our three part episode released last year: part a, part b, part c.

Partner

Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.