TwinHub offshore site investigation kicks off

The offshore site investigation works have commenced for Hexicon’s 32 MW TwinHub floating wind project in the Celtic Sea.

The first phase of the survey works has been awarded to Aratellus Offshore, which has subcontracted Sulmara Subsea to perform the geophysical survey.

The goal of the survey is to make it possible to plan subsea routes, inspect existing cables, and perform Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) and detailed design of mooring anchors and chains.

The investigation will be conducted by the vessel Vos Sweet, using a side scan sonar (SSS), sub-bottom profiler (SBP), remotely operated vehicle (ROV), and magnetometer. Field operations are expected to last between 2-3 weeks.

The survey was commissioned through the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) as part of the EUR 31 million Accelerating Market Uptake of Floating Offshore Wind Technology (AFLOWT) project and is partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

The results of the final project will be used to progress the FEED for the TwinHub project, which will deploy Hexicon’s patented TwinWind duel turbine floating foundation.

“We are extremely excited to launch the geophysical works for TwinHub and really looking forward to working with Aratellus Offshore Limited and Sulmara Subsea Limited to get the most out of the surveys. This is yet another crucial milestone moving the project forward“, said James Brown, Managing Director of TwinHub.

The twin-turbine design is said to enable more turbines per sea area, which increases the energy yield and reduces the environmental impact.

Located 16 kilometres off the coast of Cornwall, England, TwinHub floating offshore wind project secured a Contract for Difference (CfD) in the UK Government’s most recent allocation round.

A few weeks ago, Hexicon, with its joint venture partner in Italy, submitted an application to the Italian authorities for a concession for an offshore area in the Strait of Sicily, where the joint venture plans to build a gigawatt-scale floating wind farm.

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