UK: New Sector Lights Pave Way for Aberdeen Harbour’s Key Role in Offshore Wind

A Vega VLS-46 sector light, supplied to Aberdeen Harbour by Hydrosphere, has played a major part in facilitating the successful completion of the harbour’s £5.2m dredging operation, paving the way for the harbour to play a key role in offshore wind developments.

The harbour is already the centre of activity for the energy industry’s marine operations in North-West Europe and has been outlined as a potential hub for further offshore energy expansion within the National Renewables Infrastructure Plan.

Substantial improvement work has been carried out to deepen and widen the Scottish port’s navigation channel, with the sector light allowing access for large ships to and from the harbour to continue whilst works were underway.

The VLS-46 sector light was temporarily installed to allow ships to safely navigate at the edge of the channel allowing the dredging operations to continue uninterrupted. For the largest vessels this enabled them to be placed 3m from the edge of the channel with a better than 50cm accuracy.

Harbour Masters and pilots at Aberdeen Harbour have been thrilled with the new light, which has resulted in significant time and cost-savings.

“Aberdeen Harbour operated with the Vega VSL-46 sector projector light while our dredging operations were carried out,” Captain Danny Stroud, Assistant Harbour Master explained. “The light has proved to be extremely reliable, the sectors are well defined and it offers a good light intensity. ”

The VLS-46 has now being been relocated to a new position to provide the main approach light while the harbour’s old leading lights have been realigned to the new channel and will be permanently installed at a later date.

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Press release, December 6, 2012; Image: Hydrosphere