UK-based Rovco performed a subsea cable survey and inspection for the world’s largest and most technologically advanced offshore renewables test site, Wave Hub. Located 16 km off the north coast of Cornwall at the eastern edge of the Atlantic Ocean, the Wave Hub site offers four cable connection points for testing offshore renewable energy technology as well as purpose-built and commissioned grid-connected infrastructure.

The inspection program included the first commercial trial of Rovco’s 3D visualization technology to create scaled, high resolution models of subsea infrastructure with millimeter accuracy. Rovco also delivered a detailed bathymetric survey utilizing a state-of-the-art multibeam echosounder (MBES) alongside an ROV video inspection with ultra-short baseline tracking for Wave Hub’s entire offshore cable network, located off the coast of Saint Ives Bay, Cornwall.

The 3D system collects raw data which is then processed to obtain 3D volumetric information. With short mobilizations and no need for large specialist vessels or technical support teams, the system generates cost savings of up to 80 percent compared with traditional survey methods.

The first phase of the project utilized the MTS Xplorer vessel to carry out the MBES survey. The second stage included deployment of Rovco’s Sub-Atlantic Mojave ROV equipped with the latest Sonardyne Nano beacons, Rovco’s prototype hi-res camera system, and a fiber optic gyro to gather accurate heading and point references. The final stage involved the Severn Sea vessel, which was used to complete the ROV visual and 3D survey.

Learn more about the Wave Hub test site.