Ilmatar Offshore contracts OWC for conceptual engineering of the Åland project areas

During autumn 2022, seabed surveys were performed on Ilmatar Offshore’s project areas Stormskär and Väderskär north of the Åland Islands, totalling approximately 570 square kilometres. UK-based OWC has now been contracted to develop a conceptual design for these sites.

“OWC has extensive experience in successfully completing offshore wind projects in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. They have a strong team of specialists and all the expertise required to produce the technical base for our environmental impact assessment,” says Stefan Husa, Head of Maritime Spatial Planning at Ilmatar Offshore.

“We are delighted to support Ilmatar in its activities growing offshore wind in Åland,” says Christian Apeah, OWC’s Head of Independent Engineering.

“As the region is picking up speed on the offshore wind sector, it is also beneficial for us to be among the first movers.”

Ilmatar Offshore’s geophysical surveys show the areas have highly variable depth conditions and a mix of hard and soft bottom sediments. Based on this data, OWC will investigate where the turbines can be placed and what types of foundations are suitable in which locations. The study also includes a variety of other criteria that influence the final layout of the wind farm, including wind conditions, ice conditions, turbine size selection, and hub height. Possible cable routes inside and outside the project area are identified, as well as criteria for port operations, potential ports, and logistics solutions for the different stages of the wind farms, such as the construction and operational phases.

“In addition, typical decommissioning methods for each type of foundation are described on a general level, something that is often requested by the public and therefore very important for our environmental impact assessment,” says Stefan Husa.

“Environmental conditions such as icing and soil of this far north region of the Baltic Sea make this project particularly challenging. We have mobilised our most experienced engineers and consultants to fully support Ilmatar in developing this project,” adds Christian Apeah.

OWC’s final report will be delivered before the summer and form the basis for further studies in the environmental assessment process.

OWC

OWC, part of Oslo-listed ABL Group ASA, is a specialist consultancy that helps develop and deliver offshore wind projects and investments for developers, investors, and lenders in all global markets. The company offers project development services, owner’s engineering, technical due diligence, and lenders’ technical advisory services to the offshore renewables sector. OWC’s core team possesses strong industry expertise, which dates back to the first offshore wind farm development in the UK. Since then, the key members of the team have been involved in the majority of major offshore wind projects across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Australia.