ESS awarded BOWL seabed Clean-up Project

ESS (Ecosse Subsea System) has been awarded seabed clean-up project on the £2.6bn BOWL (Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd) in the Outer Moray Firth. The subsea technology will deploy its SCAR2 Seabed system from the Siem Ruby vessel on behalf of client Siem Offshore Contractors to conduct Boulder clearing operations in 50 metre water depth.

BOWL is located approximately 13km off the Caithness coast and on completion in 2019 will consist of 84 turbines which are expected to power roughly 450,000 homes. The farm is being developed with a Tier 1 supply chain, comprising Seaway Heavy Lifting, Subsea 7, Nexans and Siemens, and is expected to deliver an estimated £680 million into the UK and Scottish economy via employment and supply chain opportunities during the construction phase, and around £400-£525 million during the wind farm’s 25-year operational life.

ESS commercial director, Keith McDermott said that they had a busy start to 2017 with mobilisation on a major interconnector project in the North Sea followed by this boulder-clearing workscope for Siem Offshore Contractors. With experience of similar clearance and trenching workscopes on Race Bank and Westermost Rough windfarms offshore the east coast of England, and a number of projects in the Baltic Sea, their track record in renewables is well-established. they are focused on exporting this technology and expertise in to emerging markets in Asia and the US, where offshore wind is beginning to get decent traction, and the Beatrice award strengthens their pedigree when bidding for other contracts. They have a strong relationship with Siem Offshore Contractors, dating back to a boulder clearing and trenching workscope on the EnBW Baltic 2 offshore wind farm, and they are delighted to be working with them again.

Image Source: Ecosse Subsea Systems