Gwynt-y-Môr Offshore Wind Farm

Subsea Energy Solutions were approached by RWE Innogy to provide a sealing solution to the 45 degree cable entry holes located at the base of their offshore monopiles. 

As a result of pile refusal during the installation of the monopiles, the need arose to provide an environmentally safe seal around the cable entry holes, ensuring seabed sediment and silt did not escape the monopile structure and harm the surrounding environment during the subsequent drilling of the internal seabed material. Various product designs were required to suit the individual parameters presented by each of the structures to be sealed. 

The overall project was to be completed within an ambitious 2 week period allowing for the installation of the monopiles to commence at the earliest opportunity. 

Upon briefing from the client, Subsea Energy Solutions designed a number of innovative and bespoke sealing solutions to meet each of the specific project criteria. 

Initial concept products were produced and tested on-site, allowing for further refinement before the final manufacturing took place. 

Full product operation and installation media / videos were produced allowing for each of the products to be installed correctly by the team of on-site divers. 

All equipment, associated documentation and media were delivered to the client within the ambitious project timescales. 

Divers were briefed on each of the product installation procedures, utilising the installation media provided, allowing for text book deployment of each associated product. The first product installation being completed, checked and signed off subsea within a 45 minute period. 

The successful deployment of the seals allowed for the removal of the seabed material to commence within each monopile in an environmentally safe manner, thus allowing for the installation of each monopile to complete in an optimal time with minimal overall project impact. 

The project was deemed 100% successful by all parties involved.