Geophysical Cable Route Survey Completed for Ossian Floating Offshore Wind Farm

January 22, 2025, by Adnan Memija

Ireland-based XOCEAN has completed the geophysical survey along the 420-kilometre cable route for the proposed 3.6 GW Ossian floating offshore wind farm in Scotland.

The survey, conducted using uncrewed survey vessels (USVs), took place over a span of 13 months, in water depths ranging from the shoreline to over 100 metres.

The gathered data will support Ossian’s engineering and development teams and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) consultants in identifying viable routes for the offshore export cables, XOCEAN said.

According to Kevin Harnett, CRO of XOCEAN, the survey was conducted in multiple phases, with up to six USVs operating in the North Sea.

During the campaign, the project team coordinated with the National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) to align their efforts and minimise interference, said the Irish company.

“The completion of the XOCEAN survey is a huge milestone in progressing towards selection of the most feasible route for our offshore export cables. The campaign has delivered information vital to understanding seabed characteristics, habitats, and the geology of the offshore export cable route, setting out our path for the future,” said Laurent Domergue, Ossian engineering manager.

The Ossian floating offshore wind farm is a joint venture between SSE Renewables, Marubeni, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).

In July 2024, the Scottish government received a consent application for the offshore array of the 3.6 GW floating wind project.

Delivery of the wind farm will be subject to securing planning consent, route to market, and a final investment decision.

Once operational, Ossian would be capable of generating enough renewable energy to power up to six million homes annually.