UK: Reef Completes Greater Gabbard Contract

Reef Subsea Dredging & Excavation announced today they successfully completed their integral part in the Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm project working collaboratively with the operations team for Fluor, the principle contractor.

Reef Subsea Dredging & Excavation (RSD&E) completed their multi-million pound project over a period of two years (2010 – 2012) where they performed the excavation of approximately 100 monopiles around the j-tube approach to enable cable entry, remedial lowering of inter-array cables, and burial of circa 80 cable approaches to the monopiles using their non-contact excavation tools.

RSD&E were selected for their range of non-contact controlled flow excavation tools providing high levels of safety for sensitive subsea structures combined with their ancillary jetting system which enables them to work on-site in a wide range of soil conditions ranging from sand to hard clays measured at a strength of 172kPa.

Niels-Henrik Brodtkorb, Managing Director of Reef Subsea Dredging & Excavation, commented: “I am extremely proud of the task we achieved on this long-term project for Fluor completing with a strong focus on safe performance and efficiency. Our range of tools were perfect for this project and we were in a position to continually adapt our equipment to meet the client’s needs, specifically on trench width when challenged with various soils. Unique gyroscopic stability and use of a real-time sonar ensured the excavations were carried out to specification. Greater Gabbard is one of our greatest references in the renewables market, and we look forward to working again for this valuable client of ours.”

Brodtkorb continued to comment: “Building on our success at Greater Gabbard we have recently completed campaigns on two of the largest offshore wind farms currently in construction in the UK and two high profile interconnectors. The contract was awarded before Rotech Subsea and Scanmudring joined forces to create the world leader in seabed dredging & excavation. A subsidiary of Reef Subsea, we work independently from the Group’s companies and offer the same base-costs solutions to all our clients and we seek to serve operators and contractors from the Oil & Gas and Renewable energy sectors”.

Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Limited is a 50/50 joint venture partnership between Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and RWE Npower renewables. The Greater Gabbard Wind Farm, presently the world’s largest wind farm, is situated in the UK North Sea, off the Suffolk Coast. The project consists of 140 wind turbines producing 504 megawatts, enough clean electricity to power around 530,000 homes.

Reef Subsea Dredging & Excavation is the new dredging and controlled flow excavation organisation formed after the integration of Scanmudring and Rotech Subsea. An independent world leader providing subsea excavation and dredging solutions through vessels’ contractors to benefit operators and contractors worldwide. They offer a one stop shop service with the largest range of seabed services in relation to dredging, deburial and lowering of pipelines and cables, decommissioning and seabed preparation. The fleet of equipment comprises: Controlled Flow Excavators, Scanmachines, Scandredges, Scancrawler, Hydraulic Grabb and Scanrovdredges. Services from RSDE are available for vessel-contractors from their locations in Aberdeen, Mandal, Houston and Singapore.

Reef Subsea is an international group providing cost-effective integrated subsea services – IRM and construction, installation and burial and dredging and excavation – to the oil and gas and renewables industries. Its specialised subsidiaries provide operators and contractors with highly experienced personnel, key subsea technologies and construction support vessels. Reef Subsea serves its clients in the deep-water or demanding environments of the North Sea, Americas, Middle-East and South-East Asia areas. Reef Subsea is a 50/50 owned company of GC Rieber Shipping and HitecVision.

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Press release, January 10, 2013; Image: reefsubsea