ROVCO, a leading offshore technology provider, has achieved a significant milestone by completing all survey work for the planned Cenos floating offshore wind farm. The project was conducted on behalf of Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn and is located in the Central North Sea, approximately 200 kilometres off the coast of North-east Scotland.
Rovco, contracted for the geo-environmental survey, covered an extensive area of approximately 333 km². The survey work was performed by Rovco’s newly established site characterisation division, utilising its multi-purpose DP2 survey vessel, the Glomar Supporter. The vessel, equipped with advanced survey tools and technology, played a crucial role in ensuring the timely completion of the fast-track delivery schedule for the Cenos project.
Craig Davis, Director of Marine Site Characterisation for Rovco, highlighted the success of the project, stating, “This milestone reinforces the capabilities of our new business unit, designed to provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ approach to site characterisation projects. We’re not just meeting expectations; we’re redefining the standard for completing surveys as swiftly, efficiently, and cost-effectively as possible.”
Rovco’s scope of work included acquiring geophysical and benthic information, providing detailed data for environmental impact assessment (EIA) consents and early front-end engineering and design (FEED) studies. The geophysical component involved the acquisition of multi-beam echo sounder, side-scan sonar, magnetometer, sub-bottom profiler, and multi-channel seismic data.
The Cenos wind farm, once completed with a capacity of up to 1.4 GW, aims to supply renewable electricity to oil and gas platforms, contributing significantly to carbon emissions reduction. It will also feed electricity into the UK grid, supporting Scotland in achieving its 2045 net-zero targets.
The Vårgrønn and Flotation Energy joint venture, exclusive leaseholders of the Cenos project, expressed appreciation for Rovco’s contribution. Scott McLaughlan, Cenos Project Manager, said, “Rovco’s approach to managing and executing the fast-track survey brief for Cenos, effectively and within the challenging timeframes, has provided us with the continuity and depth of data we require to advance both our consent and our engineering plans.”
Rovco’s marine site characterisation business unit, launched earlier this year, addresses the industry’s need for comprehensive capabilities during the initial phases of offshore wind farm development. The Glomar Supporter, a versatile DP2 survey vessel, forms the core of this business unit, offering a flexible and efficient solution for offshore site characterisation.
