Displaying items by tag: Sceirde Rocks Windfarm

15th April 2024

Marine Notice: Two New Surveys for Sceirde Rocks Windfarm Project

Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta (FST) will be undertaking both a geotechnical survey and geophysical survey for the Sceirde Rocks Windfarm Project in the Western Coastal Area (Connemara/Outer Galway Bay) and Atlantic Ocean, between Monday 15 April and Monday 10 June, subject to weather and operational constraints.

These surveys follow last September’s geophysical survey and will be undertaken by the multi-purpose offshore vessel Dina Polaris (callsign CQOF), which is fitted with a geotechnical drilling rig, and the research vessel Lady Kathleen (callsign EIXT2). Both vessels will operate up to 24 hours per day and will be displaying the appropriate lights and shapes.

During operations, the vessels will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre. Therefore, passing vessels are requested to leave a wide berth during the deployment operations. Radio transmissions will be conducted with other seafarers to notify them of the operations. The vessels will be monitoring VHF Channel 16 at all times for safety purposes.

The equipment for each survey will be deployed within the bounds of the survey areas detailed in Marine Notice No 17 of 2024, attached below.

Published in Power From the Sea

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3rd September 2023

Marine Notice: Geophysical Survey for Sceirde Rocks Windfarm Project

The Department of Transport has been advised by Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta (FST) that a geophysical seabed survey will take place in the Western Coastal Area (Connemara/Outer Galway Bay/Atlantic Ocean) between Tuesday 5 September and the end of October, subject to weather and operational constraints.

The work follows previously scheduled geotechnical and benthic surveys for the proposed Sceirde Rocks Windfarm in north Galway Bay off southwestern Connemara.

Surveying will be conducted by two vessels: the semi-SWATH catamaran Roman Rebel (callsign 2ICA5), and the Lady Kathleen (callsign EIXT2), a catamaran. Both vessels will conduct 24-hour operations and will display appropriate lights and signals.

During operations, the vessels will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre. Radio transmissions will be conducted with other seafarers to notify them of the operations. All other vessels are requested to leave a wide berth during the surveys due to the nature of the operations and the work vessels’ limited manoeuvrability. Both vessels will be monitoring VHF Channel 16 at all times for safety purposes.

Coordinates of the survey locations as well as contact details can be found in Marine Notice No 54 of 2023, attached below.

Published in Power From the Sea

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27th July 2023

Marine Notice: Benthic and Geotechnical Surveys for Proposed Sceirde Rocks Windfarm

The Department of Transport has been advised by Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta (FST) that benthic and geotechnical survey vessels will be deployed at the site of the proposed Sceirde Rocks Windfarm in north Galway Bay off southwestern Connemara.

The deployment will take place from this Saturday 29 July — as with the metocean survey previously reported on Afloat.ie — to the end of September, subject to weather and operational constraints.

The benthic survey will take place using the vessel Ocean Navigator (callsign EI018) which will operate in daylight hours. The geotechnical survey will take place using the vessels Geoquip Seehorn (callsign 5BSW) and Glomar Vantage (callsign HO3057) which will operate on a 24-hour basis.

Coordinates and a map of the deployment area as well as contact details can be found in Marine Notice No 47 of 2023, attached below.

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26th July 2023

Marine Notice: Metocean Survey for Proposed Sceirde Rocks Windfarm

The Department of Transport has been advised by Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta (FST) that a metocean survey comprising one large metocean buoy and two trawl resistant seabed frames will be deployed at the site of the proposed Sceirde Rocks Windfarm in north Galway Bay off southwestern Connemara.

The deployment will take place between this Saturday 29 July and the end of August, subject to weather and operational constraints.

Equipment will remain in place for up to 24 months, and periodic service visits to the equipment will take place throughout the survey period.

The metocean buoy has a hull diameter of 3.6m and focal height of 4m. The buoy is yellow in colour and displays a St Andrew’s Cross. It is mounted with one automatic identification system (AIS) unit (161.975 MHz) and one navigation light (sequence Fl(5) 20s, range 3nm).

The buoy is double moored using a mooring chain and sinker blocks. The anchor and sinkers will be placed approximately 200m away from the metocean buoy. The mooring line will consist of approximately 200m of chain per leg, partially suspended in the water column and partially laying on the seabed.

The trawl-resistant seabed frames are approximately one square metre each and will be unmarked.

This metocean equipment will be deployed from the ILV Granuaile (callsign EIPT), which will operate on a 24-hour basis. Throughout operations, the vessel will display the appropriate lights and shapes as required under the COLREGS Rule 27 (b).

During operations, the vessel will be restricted in its ability to manoeuvre. Vessels are requested to leave a wide berth during the deployment operations.

Radio transmissions will be conducted with other seafarers to notify them of the operations. All vessels will monitor VHF Channel 16 for emergency communications with other seafarers and then mutually agree another channel to switch to for further discussion as needed.

Coordinates and a map of the deployment area as well as contact details can be found in Marine Notice No 46 of 2023, attached below.

Published in Power From the Sea

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Irish Sea Ferry Routes

Irrespective of the type of vessel deployed on Irish Sea routes (between 2-9 hours), it is the ferry companies that keep the wheels of industry moving as freight vehicles literally (roll-on and roll-off) ships coupled with motoring tourists and the humble 'foot' passenger transported 363 days a year.

As such the exclusive freight-only operators provide important trading routes between Ireland and the UK, where the freight haulage customer is 'king' to generating year-round revenue to the ferry operator. However, custom built tonnage entering service in recent years has exceeded the level of capacity of the Irish Sea in certain quarters of the freight market.

A prime example of the necessity for trade in which we consumers often expect daily, though arguably question how it reached our shores, is the delivery of just in time perishable products to fill our supermarket shelves.

A visual manifestation of this is the arrival every morning and evening into our main ports, where a combination of ferries, ro-pax vessels and fast-craft all descend at the same time. In essence this a marine version to our road-based rush hour traffic going in and out along the commuter belts.

Across the Celtic Sea, the ferry scene coverage is also about those overnight direct ferry routes from Ireland connecting the north-western French ports in Brittany and Normandy.

Due to the seasonality of these routes to Europe, the ferry scene may be in the majority running between February to November, however by no means does this lessen operator competition.

Noting there have been plans over the years to run a direct Irish –Iberian ferry service, which would open up existing and develop new freight markets. Should a direct service open, it would bring new opportunities also for holidaymakers, where Spain is the most visited country in the EU visited by Irish holidaymakers ... heading for the sun!