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Displaying items by tag: Mac Lir Offshore Wind Farm

Mac Lir Offshore Wind Limited (MLOWL) is undertaking a geophysical reconnaissance survey within an area of survey off the coast of counties Wicklow and Wexford for a proposed offshore wind energy project.

The survey was expected to commence Sunday 12 March to be completed by Monday 10 April, subject to weather and operational constraints.

The purpose of the survey is to undertake a reconnaissance geophysical survey across an area of surveys that may be suitable for the development of the proposed Mac Lir Offshore Wind Farm (MLOWF).

Conducted by the RV Tom Crean (callsign EIYX3), the survey will be performed using a hull-mounted multibeam echo sounder, sub-bottom profilers, side-scan sonar, magnetometer, and towed ultra high-resolution survey (UHRS) system (with a maximum towed length of 500m).

The work vessel will run widely spaced lines across the planned area of survey on a 24-hour basis, weather dependent.

During operations, the work vessel will be restricted in its ability to manoeuvre. All other vessels operating within the planned area of survey are requested to keep their distance and pass at a minimum speed to reduce vessel wash.

The RV Tom Crean will display appropriate shapes and lights and will conduct communications on VHF Channel 16 with other ships and vessels to notify them of the operations.

Further details including a map, coordinates and contact information can be found in Marine Notice No 12 of 2023, attached below.

Published in Power From the Sea

Shipyards

Afloat will be focusing on news and developments of shipyards with newbuilds taking shape on either slipways and building halls.

The common practice of shipbuilding using modular construction, requires several yards make specific block sections that are towed to a single designated yard and joined together to complete the ship before been launched or floated out.

In addition, outfitting quays is where internal work on electrical and passenger facilities is installed (or upgraded if the ship is already in service). This work may involve newbuilds towed to another specialist yard, before the newbuild is completed as a new ship or of the same class, designed from the shipyard 'in-house' or from a naval architect consultancy. Shipyards also carry out repair and maintenance, overhaul, refit, survey, and conversion, for example, the addition or removal of cabins within a superstructure. All this requires ships to enter graving /dry-docks or floating drydocks, to enable access to the entire vessel out of the water.

Asides from shipbuilding, marine engineering projects such as offshore installations take place and others have diversified in the construction of offshore renewable projects, from wind-turbines and related tower structures. When ships are decommissioned and need to be disposed of, some yards have recycling facilities to segregate materials, though other vessels are run ashore, i.e. 'beached' and broken up there on site. The scrapped metal can be sold and made into other items.