Plough Clears 33 Routes on DONG Energy Wind Farm

The subsea engineering specialist ESS said it has cleared almost 50,000 boulders and other obstructions from 33 routes spread over a distance of 40 kilometers at the Westermost Rough wind farm, located eight kilometers off the Yorkshire coast.

ESS deployed its multifunctional SCAR seabed plough and, working from the Havila Jupiter vessel, completed ploughing and surveying operations within 20-meter corridors located between 33 turbines and the offshore substation.

The 72-day campaign, which had been mobilized in a 47-hour timeframe from Aberdeen, was delivered on time and within budget, and demobilization took less than 24 hours. ESS’s offshore management and operations team included survey and ROV specialists.

“Another successful seabed clearance project has been completed safely and ahead of schedule on behalf of a leading European energy group,” said Mike Wilson, managing director of ESS. “The workscope covered multi-pass boulder clearing on up to 33 routes, covering an area of 720,000 square meters and involved complex seabed navigation with ROV back-up to ensure pinpoint accuracy between passes.”

Wilson added, “Our SCAR plough is now well-established as preferred tool by leading oil, gas and renewables companies and its credentials as a safe, economic and reliable seabed clearance solution has caught the attention of many of the major operators.”

The Westermost campaign was ESS’s third seabed clearance contract in the renewable sector, following on from Baltic 2 and Humber Gateway projects.