Ocean Infinity, a marine technology company specializing in the development and deployment of robotics for large-scale, subsea data acquisition, has signed a contract with Equinor Wind US LLC for one of the first-ever floating offshore wind farms on the United States West Coast.
Under the terms of this contract, Ocean Infinity will undertake a comprehensive site investigation survey using multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) simultaneously for Equinor’s floating offshore wind lease area (OCS-P 0563).
“The U.S. West Coast with its challenging deep water topography presents another excellent opportunity for Ocean Infinity to deliver the value of its multi-AUV capabilities for its clients,” says Shawntel Johnson, director, business development at Ocean Infinity. “AUVs in scale are the perfect tool for this region providing not only great data quality advantages over towed arrays, in the water depths spanning from about 3,195 to 4,507 feet, but also huge efficiency over wide areas.”
The project is set to commence in February 2024. The survey scope encompasses a range of vital offshore surveys. These critical data acquisitions are integral components for Equinor to mature their design basis as well as inform the site assessment plan (SAP) and construction and operations plan (COP) for the OCS-P 0563 lease area. Ocean Infinity’s high-quality data sets will facilitate informed decision-making and meticulous planning for the construction and operational phases.
“When Ocean Infinity was formed, the idea of using robotics at enormous scale to collect more data, faster and with less environmental impact while optimizing safety was our guiding principle,” says Oliver Plunkett, CEO at Ocean Infinity. “This project is that entire vision coming to life. It’s exciting and rewarding to work with clients such as Equinor who share our vision, can see the power of robotics and our unique understanding as tech innovators and will reap the benefits as we support them in driving the energy transition.”
Ocean Infinity has a fleet of globally located uncrewed vessels and around 20 AUVs, the world’s largest fleet of full capability deep water autonomous underwater vehicles, notes the CEO.
