PDE Offshore picks Sonardyne tech for Taiwan offshore wind work

PDE Offshore has selected Sonardyne underwater positioning equipment to support its work on wind farm construction projects offshore Taiwan.

The company has ordered a Mini-Ranger 2 Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) system and Wideband Sub-Mini 6+ (WSM 6+) transponder/responders.

to accurately track the position its underwater equipment, which includes a seabed frame used to guide geotechnical corers.

The Mini-Ranger 2 will go on PDE Offshore’s 72-metre long survey vessel MV Geo Energy.

The vessel will spend this summer working in the Taiwan Strait, evaluating proposed locations for turbine foundations.

Sonardyne built the Mini-Ranger 2 around its 6G hardware and Wideband 2 digital acoustic technology platforms.

At its heart is HPT 3000 USBL transceiver for performance in shallow water, as well as high elevation and long lay back operating scenarios and data telemetry.

The size and positioning performance of WSM 6+ makes it a transponder choice for fitting to and tracking underwater vehicles and equipment.

Its built-in depth sensor improves USBL precision, while a responder mode allows tracking of fast moving targets.

“Where we work in the Taiwan Strait, water depth is from 20 to 60 meters; in the future, there might be a chance to work in offshore wind farm with water depth from 50 to 200 meters, so whilst we do need a very precise USBL, we don’t need the one that’s full ocean depth capable. Through renting, we have become familiar with Mini-Ranger 2 and the benefits it’s brought to our busy geotechnical operations. So it was a simple choice to decide to go ahead and purchase one of our own.”

Dan Tan, regional sales manager for Sonardyne in Singapore, also said:

“Taiwan’s ambitions of becoming a green island means it is fast becoming a leading player offshore wind in Asia Pacific.

“We’re pleased to be a part this energy transition through PDE Offshore’s investment.

“Although this will be a permanent installation, Mini-Ranger 2 is also a great option for moving between vessels and even USVs.”