Sustainable Offshore Wind Farm Remote Maintenance through Earth Observation and Sonar at Hollandse Kust Zuid

In 2023, Fugro completed a groundbreaking remote inspection at Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ), the world’s first subsidy-free offshore wind farm, operated by Vattenfall. The project aimed to assess the integrity of 140 wind turbine generators, two offshore substations, and 260 cable protection systems spread across a 142 km² area in the challenging Southern North Sea environment. The innovative approach employed Fugro’s Blue Essence® USV paired with the Blue Volta® eROV to conduct multibeam echosounder (MBES) surveys and ROV-based visual inspections.

Over a two-month operation, the uncrewed system covered extensive seabed areas, completing 179 hours of eROV diving. Remote control from Aberdeen’s ROC enabled real-time data collection and assessment, allowing experts to identify 17 minor issues while confirming the robustness of Vattenfall’s infrastructure. The sustainable technology reduced environmental impact, operational costs, and health and safety risks while optimizing inspection efficiency.