White Cross is a test and demonstration floating project being developed in the Celtic Sea by Offshore Wind Ltd, a joint venture partnership between Cobra and Flotation Energy Limited.
The 100MW floating windfarm will use innovative floating substructure technology anchored to the seabed - each supporting a single wind turbine.
NASH Maritime, contracted directly to Offshore Wind Ltd, are also supporting the EIA team led by Royal HaskoningDHV, to inform the consent application.
What we did
To ensure a robust and appropriate evidence base was used for the Navigation Risk Assessment, as well as sourcing and collating existing vessel traffic datasets, we undertook peak and off peak seasonal marine vessel traffic surveys of the array area. This data was subsequently processed, analysed and combined with existing datasets to develop the baseline profile.
To understand navigational safety and risk, we reviewed historic national, regional and industry incident records and considered future traffic profiles in the area along with cumulative/in combination effects.
Building from this, our inhouse shipping and navigation modelling specialists developed scenarios to examine local and strategic impacts to vessel routing during construction, operations, and maintenance. Collision risk modelling was also undertaken to analyse the proportion of the vessel traffic which may interact with the project.
From this we could develop a hazard log and undertake Hazard Workshops with stakeholders. This allowed us to elicit understanding/verification of baseline usage, key potential impacts, hazards, risks and potential risk control mitigation and assess any additional risk control measures/recommendations.
The final Navigation Risk Assessment was provided as a technical report and supports the Environmental Impact Report that is expected to be submitted early in 2023.
Image copyright: Flotation Energy Ltd
