Summer vessel traffic surveys underway in Celtic and Irish Seas

Navigational risk assessments are required as part of the licensing and consent process in the UK. They are informed by vessel traffic data, historical accident information and key stakeholder views.

To ensure NASH Maritime has an accurate understanding of how the proposed area of an offshore windfarm and its environs are currently used, vessel traffic surveys, are undertaken to validate existing AIS data.

NASH Maritime Director, Dr Ed Rogers, said: “We are pleased to be assisting Cobra and Flotation Energy in developing their offshore wind ambitions. These surveys for Cobra and Flotation Energy are the second undertaken by NASH Maritime and are scheduled to collect data for peak usage of the areas in summer months. They follow surveys undertaken in early 2022 which captured vessel activity in the winter season.

“The data collected will provide a basis for us to undertake a structured navigation risk assessment for each site to identify key navigation issues and determine appropriate mitigation.”

Vessel traffic surveys collect radar track data, vessel transponder data (AIS) and visual observations (particularly for recreational and fishing vessels) for the proposed windfarm sites.

Data collected will be used to develop a clear baseline understanding of vessel traffic activity in the vicinity of the proposed windfarm sites.