Fugro to Survey Unexploded Ordnance Along 50Hertz's Offshore Wind Cable Routes

Dutch company Fugro has secured a contract with German transmission system operator 50Hertz to survey and clear unexploded ordnance along the routes of two offshore wind grid connections in the North Sea, corresponding to the LanWin3 and LanWin6 projects.

Both connections are part of Germany's offshore wind infrastructure expansion and are each designed to transmit up to 2 GW of wind energy, for a combined capacity of 4 GW feeding into the national power grid. The work aims to identify and mitigate risks ahead of the installation of the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables that will link the offshore wind farms to the German grid.

Offshore surveys will begin in the second quarter of 2027 and will cover 200-metre-wide corridors along both routes. For this task, Fugro will deploy two Geowing systems, magnetic gradiometers fitted with ten sensors each, which will detect potential unexploded ordnance and other objects on or beneath the seabed, generating data to build a target list for investigation ahead of cable installation.

Follow-up activities will take place during 2028, including surveys using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), identification of suspect objects, and debris clearance where necessary. Fugro will also provide support for the safe removal and disposal of any confirmed explosive items, in line with current regulations, and will help prepare the cable corridors for installation.

Ronny Bøhn, Fugro's Director of Marine Geophysics for Europe and Africa, noted that early seabed surveys will help 50Hertz better understand potential risks and manage them throughout the cable installation programme. Portal Portuario added that there are approximately 1.3 million tonnes of unexploded ordnance in marine environments worldwide, underscoring the importance of this type of survey for the safe development of offshore infrastructure.