Green Rebel Group's new aircraft arrives for Irish coastal surveys
The first digital aerial
ecology surveys of Irish coastal waters to be undertaken by a domestic
company are about to begin following the arrival of a new special mission
aircraft owned by Green Rebel Group into Cork Airport. The company is leading
efforts to establish Cork Harbour as a Green Energy Hub, beginning with
a new partnership between Green Rebel Group, Cork Airport, the Atlantic
Flight Training Academy (AFTA) and Weston Aviation.
Green Rebel Group acquired the aircraft to undertake ecological assessments
as part of the planning process for marine renewable energy projects, including
offshore wind farms. The new €1.5 million twin-engine Diamond Air DA42
aircraft will be used to survey thousands of square miles of ocean. The
DA-42 aircraft - with tail registration EI-GRM - will be permanently based
at Cork Airport.
Green Rebel has partnered with AFTA, which will be the specialist operator
(SPO) for the aircraft. The aircraft will be based at the Weston Aviation
hangar at Cork Airport. Its arrival has resulted in the creation of 15
direct jobs, and there are plans for further job creation over the coming
years.
Each aerial survey flight will generate terabytes of imagery. In order
to store, process, and backup this data, Green Rebel Group has also built
a marine data centre. The high-spec server and supporting IT infrastructure
are housed in a secure location at the Cork Airport Business Park. The
data will be used to map the abundance of marine wildlife, which is critical
to ensure wind farms are built in the most suitable locations.
Sarah Kandrot, Head of Aerial Surveys with Green Rebel Group said: “This
aircraft will help us to compile information that will ensure offshore
wind farms are built in the best locations to protect the ecology of the
ocean. We are delighted that our aircraft has arrived in Cork, which means
we can now begin conducting these important surveys. With this aircraft,
large sections of the ocean can be surveyed over a shorter period of time
than can be achieved with traditional boat-based surveys. Thanks to the
ultra high-spec of our camera equipment, our aircraft will be flying at
heights that will not cause any disturbance to birds or marine megafauna
while at the same time allowing us to collect the highest-quality digital
imagery.”
Mick Horgan, CEO of Green Rebel Group said: “I am hugely proud of the
Green Rebel team and what they have achieved. We have put together an amazing
team of data acquisition specialists and data scientists who are all experts
in their respective fields. I have every faith that our aerial survey division
will be second to none.”
Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director at Cork Airport, said: “We are delighted
to welcome the Green Rebel Group to Cork Airport. Covid-19 has provided
us with opportunities to diversify our business into new areas supporting
cargo, offshore gas and wind operations. As a key economic enabler for
the region, Cork Airport will play a big role in the economic recovery
ahead. The addition of the Green Rebel Group aircraft based here at Cork
Airport will help create new job opportunities particularly in the green
energy sector. The Green Rebel Marine Diamond Aviation 42 aircraft will
be based at the Weston Aviation Hangar at Cork Airport and we wish them
every success in this exciting new offshore wind venture.”
Mark Casey, CEO of AFTA, said: “AFTA are delighted to have been chosen
as the SPO operator for the specialist air survey delivery for Green Rebel
Marine. It is fantastic to see local investment by GRM in aviation and
marine infrastructure creating high quality local jobs for the Munster
region. The Special Mission DA42 NG is an environmentally friendly low
impact survey and reconnaissance and survey platform. The aircraft is powered
by the AE300 aero diesel power plant and can run on 100% Algae based Biofuel.
AFTA are proud to be a part of Green Rebel's mission to reduce the dependence
on energy from fossil fuels and move towards a sustainable offshore wind
energy solution.”
CEO of Weston Aviation Nick Weston said: “We are delighted to be working
closely with the Green Rebel Team in this exciting new venture adding to
the rapidly developing offshore operations that both Weston Aviation and
Cork Airport can offer in the region. Our ideally located FBO and hangar
at the airport is a perfect base for aircraft and passenger processing
for these highly complex missions.”
