Site investigations are now underway for Hexicon’s 32MW TwinHub floating offshore wind project in the Celtic Sea.
The first phase of the survey works has been awarded to Aratellus Offshore, which has subcontracted Sulmara Subsea to perform the geophysical survey.
Survey vessel Vos Sweet mobilised from the port of Falmouth in Cornwall this week with field operations anticipated to last between two to three weeks.
The investigation will plan subsea routes, inspect existing cables and perform detailed design of mooring anchors and chains, Aratellus said.
The results of the final project will be used to progress the front-end engineering design for TwinHub, which will deploy Hexicon’s TwinWind duel turbine floating foundation.
TwinHub managing director James Brown said: “We are extremely excited to launch the geophysical works and really looking forward to working with Aratellus Offshore and Sulmara Subsea to get the most out of the surveys.
“This is yet another crucial milestone moving the project forward.”
The survey was commissioned through the European Marine Energy Centre as part of the AFLOWT Project and is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Aratellus general manager Lance Hanson added: “This is a significant step for Aratellus and we are excited to be working with TwinHub to deliver the first phase of this site investigation.
“Partnering with Sulmara has allowed us to provide a responsive and flexible offering tailored to suite the specific survey requirements.”
TwinHub – located 16km off the coast of Cornwall, England – recently secured a 15-year CfD in the UK government’s most recent allocation round.