Two unmanned vessels remotely controlled from the coast traveled up to 40 kilometers off the North Sea to undertake survey work for Berwick Bank and Marr Bank Offshore Wind Developments, owned by SSE Renewables.

XO-450 Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), owned and operated by XOCEAN, completed several coastal and offshore cable surveys at water depths ranging from zero to 60 meters earlier this month.

Shore support was provided by local Marine Quest personnel.

The surveys allowed the project team to map a previously unknown rocky ridge located on the seabed and identify an alternate route for export cables.

The early identification of this alternate route ensured that there is no requirement for potentially intrusive measures on the rocky ridge, such as trenching, providing a much more environmentally friendly result for the project and the local habitat.

In addition, XOCEAN’s USVs provide a reliable and durable platform for ocean data collection, emitting 1,000 times less carbon than traditional survey vessels, SSE said.

Louise davis, Head of the Consents Team for the Berwick Bank Wind Farm, said: “SSE Renewables is delighted to have worked alongside XOCEAN to complete this logistically challenging investigative work. These smaller, more agile vessels allowed the Berwick Bank project team to identify possible options for our export cable corridors, while avoiding damage to the local marine environment. We are particularly happy to use innovative technology with a very small carbon footprint. “

The proposed Berwick Bank and Marr Bank wind farms would be located in the outer Firth of Forth, over 49 kilometers and 40 kilometers, respectively, from the East Lothian coast.

The projects have different timelines, with a scope for Berwick Bank submitted in August 2020 and virtual exhibitions held in November 2020, and Marr Bank at an earlier stage.

The Berwick Bank project is expected to represent 2.3 GW and include up to 242 offshore wind turbines. It would be able to generate enough renewable energy to power 3.5 million homes a year, more than all homes in Scotland, and cut carbon emissions by four million tonnes each year. The Marr Bank is expected to reach 1.85 GW.

Throughout the investigation, the data collected was monitored from the coast in real time by experts located in the UK, in order to validate the data collection before the vessel left the site.

This demonstrates the highly flexible and collaborative nature of this technology, allowing industry experts to have direct access to real-time data, from any location, SSE said.

In addition to their environmental credentials, XOCEAN’s USVs offer significant safety benefits with operators staying ashore and efficiency with 24/7 operations which together result in significant economic savings.

James ives, CEO of XOCEAN, said: “Our USV platform has proven to be a safe, reliable and low-carbon solution for ocean data collection. We are delighted to be working with SSE Renewables on this project.