N-Sea Keeping Galloper Safe from UXO

N-Sea has been awarded a pre-construction unexploded ordnance (UXO) contract with Galloper Offshore Wind Farm Ltd (GWFL).

The clearance works commenced in April 2016 and include UXO risk management, target investigations and clearance on the Galloper wind farm, off the coast of Suffolk.

Expected to run for between three and six months, the project sees the Siem N-Sea multi-support vessel utilise a WROV to investigate potential UXO targets within the array areas and export cable corridor. N-Sea’s dive support vessel, Neptunus, will also undertake similar tasks in shallow water areas.

To complete the clearance works, N-Sea has sub-contracted Ordtek Ltd to carry out UXO risk management for land and marine developments, Modus Seabed Intervention for work class ROV and crew hire, and Ramora UK for explosive ordnance disposal services.

Ordtek Ltd recently launched a Mine Map sharing information regarding UXO around the UK coastline. The map illustrates that the Galloper area was heavily mined in the First and Second World Wars, and has been an active British military training area.

Galloper is an extension of the existing and fully operational Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm. It will commence operation in March 2018.

The 56 Siemens wind turbines, each with a capacity of 6MW, will generate up to 336MW that will be transmitted to an onshore substation at Sizewell via the sub-sea high voltage cable.

GWFL is a GBP 1.5 billion joint equity partnership of 25% each between RWE Innogy UK, UK Green Investment Bank, Siemens Financial Services and Macquarie Capital.