Scottish subsea technology company, Ecosse Subsea
Systems (ESS), has been awarded their second Baltic Sea renewables project.
The Aberdeenshire-based business has been appointed by main contractor
Prysmian Group to carry out pre-cut seabed trenching prior to Prysmian’s
cable laying on the Wikinger
offshore wind farm.
The 350 MW Wikinger
project is Iberdrola’s first
offshore project in Germany. Located in the north east of the island of
Reugen, the windfarm will have 70
turbines and an
offshore substation, generating
enough energy to power more than 350,000 German homes.
Using its versatile SCAR Seabed System, ESS
will perform first pass and multi-pass trenching in preparation for Prysmian’s
installation and burial of 81 km of submarine cables which will connect
the 70
turbines to the
offshore substation.
ESS has built up a reputation for seabed preparation
projects in the renewables sector and believes the successful completion
of a £5 million project on behalf of Siem Offshore Contractors on the EnBW
Baltic 2 windfarm helped secure
this new work.
Keith McDermott, ESS commercial director,
said: “Our previous experience of boulder clearance and trenching
on the
Baltic 2 windfarm has
proven the versatility of the SCAR system and in particular its suitability
for the soils in this region.
“Whilst our SCAR technology was originally
designed for oil and gas sector projects, we have steadily built up a reputation
in the renewables industry for being able to provide a robust, cost effective
option for major cable-laying workscopes, helping reduce the levelised
cost of energy production.”
Ecosse expect to mobilise from Aberdeen in
mid-2016 and have already started pre-engineering work at its Banchory
headquarters near Aberdeen.
Mr McDermott added:“With the downturn
in the hydrocarbon sector and well publicised project cancellations or
delays, Ecosse have quickly responded to the changing market and our focus
on renewables and interconnectors is paying off."
“We have tendered for more than £280 million
worth of projects and are confident that SCAR will prove an attractive
option for other developers and installation contractors on a number of
those projects in the coming years."
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