Renexia has signed an agreement with Seas Geosciences to study the most environmentally sustainable mooring and anchoring solutions for the Med Wind floating offshore wind farm project in the Mediterranean.
To support the project, Seas Geosciences will use sampling methods with its unique, remotely operated systems to investigate the underwater environment.
“Our goal is to use the latest technology, ideas and tools to understand what’s going on below the ocean floor, working with others of like minds to generate clean energy from our oceans in the least invasive way possible,” said Seas Geosciences president Paolo Casciotti.
“We will make a complete map of what’s happening beneath the seabed, and we’ll do it with minimal environmental risks while keeping our people safe.”
Seas Geosciences will deploy its robotic seafloor drill and cone penetration testing up to 40 metres below the seafloor, in water more than 900 metres deep, to acquire geotechnical information about geohazards at the project site in the Sicily Channel.
The work will enable Renexia to define and design the most appropriate seabed anchoring systems for the turbines and ensure maximum attention to the surrounding ecosystem.
Seas Geosciences has partnered with the Italian company Argo to supply the vessel it will use as a base for the seafloor work.
Med Wind will be built gradually in stages, reaching a full installation of up to 190 turbines capable of generating total clean energy of about 9TWh.