Contract signed for survey corridor in North Sea

Norwegian firm Reach Subsea will deploy its survey vessel Viking Reach, a 72-passenger vessel with 940m² of deck area that can carry two remotely operated vessels (ROVs) to carry out the camera and sensor operations. Viking Reach also has a 70t AHC crane.

The ROV to be deployed on the North Sea mission for transmission network operator SSEN Transmission is Surveyor Interceptor, a 5.5m x 2m vessel with a payload of 700kg and a 220HP power pack.

It is fitted with a Kongsberg Multibeam Echosounder and Edgetech Side Scan Sonar.

“The Surveyor Interceptor ROV can provide more data of higher quality and higher resolution at higher speed and in more severe weather conditions than any other survey platform and is well suited for this assignment off the Scottish coast,” said Alastair McKie, Reach Subsea UK managing director. “We believe the contract with SSEN Transmission is an important step in our expansion strategy in the UK.”

With the increasing amount of electricity being generated by offshore wind, the Scottish transmission network is in dire need of upgrading, and this is what SSEN is attempting to do, with a ’Pathway to 2030’ programme of projects ’to facilitate the increase in renewable energy generation across the north of Scotland and deliver a network for net zero emissions’.

“We have ramped up our capacity significantly over the last couple of years to serve a rapidly growing market with a broadened service offering,” said Reach Subsea CEO Jostein Alendal. “Our international presence is expanding fast with Aberdeen as a core location, and we are extremely pleased to be welcoming SSEN Transmission as a new significant client. The contract win is a strong endorsement of Reach Subsea’s attractivity for large clients and capabilities in solving complex tasks within the HVDC Transmission energy segment.”