50Hertz awards Ostwind 3 UXO ID and removal contract

German offshore transmission system operator (TSO) 50Hertz has contracted Heinrich Hirdes EOD Services for UXO identification and removal works for the Ostwind 3 project.

The German contractor is in charge of delivering the unexploded explosive ordnance (UXO) survey, identification and removal on the cable route of the project located in the German sector of the Baltic Sea.

The scope will include the provision and operation of all assets necessary for the works, identification of targets, removal of non-UXO, reporting and interfacing with employer and UXO expert.

The objective of the campaign is to mitigate the risk of UXO present in the cable installation corridors to ensure a safe installation of the Ostwind 3 export cables and offshore substation, including all route clearance and route preparation activities as for example boulder clearance, pre-lay grapnel run, dredging and anchoring.

Activities will be spread across two phases, with the first including a bathymetry survey, sea bottom imagery, collection of magnetometric survey data, an electromagnetic survey, analysis and interpretation, as well as the provision of a Master Target List (MTL).

The second phase will include UXO inspection, identification and removal/detonation where required.

Ostwind 3 is the third offshore project for the grid connection of the wind farm areas to the north-east of Rügen island, following Ostwind 1 and Ostwind 2.

The wind farm area connecting to Ostwind 3, designated as O-1.3, is located in the area Westlich Adlergrund, north of the operating wind farms Wikinger and Arkona from 50Hertz’s operational grid connection project Ostwind 1.