Operators of the North Irish Sea Array (NISA) offshore wind farm will shortly undertake a subtidal benthic ecology survey campaign on its proposed export cable route area, off the coast of north Co Dublin and Co Meath.

Similar to the campaign this past summer, it will involve the deployment of benthic grab, water quality sonde and drop-down video equipment from a survey vessel within the bounds of the proposed NISA Export Cable Route area.

It is expected to be completed between next Wednesday 28 September 2022 and Wednesday 5 October, subject to weather and operational constraints.

As with the concurrent geophysical survey, the campaign will be confined to the proposed NISA Export Cable Route area. This area forms an irregular shape spanning 11km north-south and 18km east-west at its widest point. The survey area has two landfall areas close to Balbriggan in north Co Dublin.

The benthic survey campaign will be conducted by the survey vessel Husky (callsign 2EQI7). An onboard fisheries liaison officer will be available to discuss operations throughout the duration of the survey campaign.

The survey vessel will display appropriate lights and signals. All other vessels operating within this area are requested to keep a wide berth and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash. Mariners are advised to keep continuous watch on VHF Channel 16 when navigating the area.

Contact details, coordinates and a map of the survey area are included in Marine Notice No 64 of 2022, attached below.

Operators of the North Irish Sea Array (NISA) offshore wind farm are undertaking a geophysical survey campaign on its proposed export cable route area, off the coast of north Co Dublin and Co Meath.

This campaign is expected to run from next Monday 12 September to continue until Wednesday 12 October, subject to weather and operational constraints.

The survey campaign will be confined to the proposed NISA Export Cable Route area. This area forms an irregular shape spanning 11km north-south and 18km east-west at its widest point. The survey area has two landfall areas close to Balbriggan and surveys will proceed as shallow as around three metres of water depth.

The survey will be conducted by the vessels Geo Focus (callsign PCOS) and Ros Áine (callsign EIZG5) in depths of greater than and less than 10m respectively, both working on a 24/7 basis.

The survey will utilise multibeam echosounders, sub-bottom profilers, side-scan sonar, magnetometer, both hull-mounted and towed. Typically, the towed cable lengths will be about four times the water depth while acquiring survey data.

Both vessels will display appropriate lights and signals. Mariners are advised to keep continuous watch on VHF Channel 16 when navigating the area.

As the survey vessels will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre when surveying, due to the deployment of the towed survey equipment, all other vessels operating within this area are requested to keep a wide berth and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash.

Contact details, coordinates and a map of the survey area are included in Marine Notice No 63 of 2022 amended, attached below.

This article was edited on Thursday 8 September to reflect the published amenment to the Marine Notice.

DP Energy Ireland Ltd is undertaking geophysical surveys at the proposed Inis Ealga Marine Energy Park off Cork and Waterford, outside the 12-nautical-mile limit.

Works were set to begin on Friday 2 September and last for five days, subject to weather, carried out from the ILV Granuaile (callsign EIPT) on a 24-hour basis.

The reconnaissance geophysical survey is being performed using a hull-mounted multibeam echosounder (MBES) and towed seismic system (maximum towed length 60m), running widely spaced lines across the array investigation area.

Communication on marine band radio VHF Channel 16 will be conducted with other ships and vessels to notify them of the operations.

In addition, ILV Granuaile is restricted in its ability to manoeuvre during this operations and will display appropriate shapes and lights. All other vessels operating within this area are requested to keep their distance and pass at a minimum speed to reduce vessel wash.

Coordinates and a map of the survey area as well as contact details are included in Marine Notice No 60 of 2022, attached below.

DP Energy, one of Ireland’s leading developers of renewable energy projects, is planning to carry out a geophysical survey beyond the 12 nautical mile limit at their proposed Inis Ealga Marine Energy Park off the coasts of Cork and Waterford.

The survey, which will cover approximately 900 Km2, will begin on 8th September and will take place for a period of five days. The work will be undertaken by Hydrographic Surveys of Crosshaven onboard the Commissioners of Irish Lights vessel, ILV Granuaile, a multifunctional ship which is equipped to operate in difficult sea conditions.

The Inis Ealga Marine Energy Park is a 1,000 MW (1GW) offshore wind project which will use floating platform technology anchored to the seabed. Once operational, the proposed wind farm will generate enough clean renewable energy to power the equivalent of nearly one million homes. Delivery of this scheme, planned to be operational by 2030, will significantly contribute to Ireland’s Climate Action Plan target of 7 Gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030 and the longer-term target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

To develop the Inis Ealga Marine Energy Park project, DP Energy has partnered with global energy leader Iberdrola, one of the world’s largest renewable energy producers. Iberdrola has substantial experience in offshore wind development and, importantly, shares DP Energy’s commitment to a sustainable and ethical approach to development.

The upcoming survey of the Inis Ealga Marine Park location will provide valuable information on the make-up of the seabed and this will be used to inform the project design, siting of turbines and construction methods for the proposed park. The results will also assist in the preparation of specifications for additional future geophysical and geotechnical surveys.

Adam Cronin, Head of Offshore at DP Energy, outlines the processes that will be used:

“The equipment we are planning to use includes a hull mounted multibeam sonar and sub bottom profiler. This survey will provide information about the seabed make-up at various depths. We will be able to image the sediment and rock layers beneath the surface of the seabed giving us crucial information on sediment layers for design. The data obtained from the surveys will be utilised in the design of the project and the design will be in the public domain as part of the Development Consenting process.”

Commenting on the announcement Dave Ward, Commercial Manager at Commissioner of Irish Lights said: “Granuaile is a key asset of Irish Lights in delivery of its navigation safety service around the coast of Ireland. Irish Lights can provide a range of services, statutory and commercial to support local partners in the transition to offshore renewable energy. We are pleased to support DP Energy to enable and harness Irish natural resources in offshore wind, in order to drive the establishment of an indigenous Irish supply chain while underpinning marine based employment.”

Headquartered in Buttevant in North Cork and operating across the world, DP Energy is committed to using the most sustainable and environmentally responsible methods in all of their energy developments. Currently, DP Energy has a 5,000+ megawatt (MW) portfolio of wind, ocean and solar energy projects in development stages across Ireland, Australia, the UK and Canada.

In addition to the Inis Ealga project, DP Energy, in conjunction with Iberdrola, has also submitted Foreshore Licence applications for Clarus Offshore Wind Farm, off the coasts of Clare and Kerry (floating) and Shelmalere Offshore Wind Farm, off the coasts of Wicklow and Wexford (fixed).

A geophysical survey is set for the Irish Sea off the Wicklow coast to provide site investigation information to facilitate the development of the Arklow Bank Wind Park.

The survey work was anticipated to get under way by Wednesday 31 August and be completed by the end of October, weather permitting.

This survey campaign will be confined to the proposed Phase 2 of the Arklow Bank Wind Park, according to Marine Notice No 58 of 2022.

The Arklow Bank area is located around 3-7 nautical miles off the coast of Co Wicklow and consists of a north-south-trending sandbank around 12nm in length and sub-parallel to the coastline between Ardmore Point and Kilmichael Point.

Operations will be conducted by the Roman Rebel (callsign 2ICA5) and Lady Kathleen (callsign EIXT2).

As these survey vessels will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre when surveying, due to the deployment of the towed survey equipment, all other vessels operating within their vicinity are requested to keep their distance and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash.

Work will be conducted on a 24-hour basis on the Roman Rebel with 12-hour operations on board the Lady Kathleen. Both vessels will display appropriate lights and signals.

Mariners are advised to keep continuous watch on VHF Channel 16 when navigating the area.

For contact details, plus coordinates and a map of the survey area, see the attached Marine Notice below.

Ocean Infinity is set to begin a subsea survey of two World War II-era shipwrecks off the southwest coast this week.

The SS Songa was a Norwegian-flagged cargo steamer that was torpedoed by a Nazi U-boat in January 1940. All of its crew were rescued and landed between Kinsale and Crookhaven.

The SS Parthenon, meanwhile, was a Greek-flagged steamer that was part of a convoy of ships sunk in an attack by a ‘Wolfpack’ of Nazi submarines in November 1942. Six of its 29 crew were lost.

Survey operations are scheduled to begin Monday 29 August and continue for some 11 weeks until Wednesday 16 November, weather permitting, at Latitude 49° 23' N, Longitude 11° 34' W.

The work will be conducted by the vessel Deepsea Worker (callsign 5VIP2). The vessel will use appropriate lights and shapes and can be contacted on VHF Channel 16 to provide details as required.

Contact information and a map of the survey area can be found in Marine Notice No 57 of 2022, attached below.

Haven Offshore Array will be completing geophysical survey works off the Donegal coast as part of a scientific data gathering exercise for the renewable energy project from this week to around 24 December, weather permitting.

However, please note that the start date and the duration of the activity are weather dependent. These will be 24hr operations 7 days a week.

Research vessel DP1 Ondine Jule (callsign EIZH4) will carry out the work on a 24/7 basis. The vessel will be towing geophysical equipment during operations and the vessel will be restricted in its ability to manoeuvre.

All other vessels operating within its vicinity are requested to keep their distance and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash.

Communication on marine band radio frequencies will be conducted with other ships and vessels to notify them of the operations for the duration.

Coordinates and a map of the survey operations as well as contact details can be found in Marine Notice No 59 of 2022, attached below.

Bangor University will be surveying with hull-mounted and towed acoustic equipment in the Celtic Sea, off the southern coastline of Ireland south of Kilmore Quay, outside the 12 nautical mile limit.

The survey is due to commence on Tuesday 23 August and finish nearly two weeks later on Monday 5 September, weather allowing.

Operations will be conducted by the RV Prince Madog (callsign ZNLJ5). This research vessel will be surveying with hull-mounted and towed acoustic equipment. As a safety precaution, there will be two marine mammal observers on board. No buoys will be used.

Coordinates and a map of the survey area as well as contact details are included in Marine Notice No 56 of 2022, attached below.

The Department of Transport wishes to bring to the attention of all fishing vessel owners, agents, skippers and fishers to the report published earlier this year by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) into the sinking of the FV Horizon off the Old Head of Kinsale last year.

Afloat.ie reported this past April on the MCIB report into this incident, which took place on 14 May 2021, which concluded that an unattended electronic device on charge may have caused an extensive fire that engulfed the vessel. The full report may be obtained from the MCIB website.

In response to one of the report’s recommendations regarding the maintenance and testing of fire detection systems, Marine Notice No 55 of 2022 reminds all owners, operators, skippers and crew of fishing vessels of 15-24m in length overall of the following:

• The mandatory requirements for fishing vessels in accordance with S.I. No. 640 of 2007 – Merchant Shipping (Safety of Fishing Vessels) (15-24 Metres) Regulations 2007, especially regarding automatic fire alarm and fire detection systems testing procedures which are to be carried out in accordance with Section 9.2.5.2 of the International Code For Fire Safety Systems (FSS Code). In particular, detectors should be periodically tested using equipment suitable for the types of fires to which the detector is designed to respond. Operators and Skippers of existing vessels not fitted with such an approved system should satisfy themselves that any fire detection and alarm system that is fitted is maintained in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions and is regularly tested.

SubCom will be carrying out subsea cable installation operations in Irish waters off the coast of Co Mayo, scheduled to begin Thursday 18 August.

A total of three vessels will be working on the America Europe Connect-2 project: the guard vessel DR Defiant (callsign MLAS6), day vessel MV James (callsign EI-TT-2) and CS Durable (callsign V7DI8).

The latter of these vessels will be engaged in pre-lay grapnel run and cable installation works.

In addition, the CS Durable will be restricted in manoeuvrability and all vessels operating within this area are requested to keep their distance and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash.

Throughout operations, all three vessels will be displaying appropriate lights and shapes.

SubCom advises that these activities will take 39 days to complete, however the start date and duration of the activity is weather dependent.

Coordinates and a map of the survey are as well as contact details can be found in Marine Notice No 53 of 2022, attached below.

Vermilion Exploration & Production Ireland Limited will carry out a maintenance campaign at the Corrib Gas Field’s subsea infrastructure from next weekend.

The works are due to commence in field next Sunday 14 August and last for up to 21 days, weather allowing. Maintenance works, including pipeline and subsea structure inspection, will take place at Latitude 54° 20’ 20.413” N, Longitude 11° 03’ 30.769” W.

All works will be undertaken by the vessel EDT Jane (callsign 5BXW3). All equipment used will be vessel and/or remote operated vehicle (ROV) mounted. Visual and acoustic surveys will be conducted by means of vessel- and ROV-mounted sensors.

The vessel will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

Maps of the survey area and contact details are included in Marine Notice No 50 of 2022, attached below.