Fugro has been awarded a contract by 50Hertz to carry out unexploded ordnance (UXO) surveys, identification and clearance for the LanWin3 and LanWin6 offshore grid connection projects in the German sector of the North Sea.
The survey is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2027 and will cover 200-metre-wide corridors along both routes. Fugro will use two Geowing systems, its fixed magnetic gradiometer arrays, each equipped with ten magnetic sensors to detect potential UXO and other objects on or beneath the seabed. The survey data will be used to map potential targets and compile a master target list for further investigation.
Follow-up inspection and identification work is planned for 2028. Remotely operated vehicles and specialist detection systems will be used to investigate selected targets and remove debris where necessary. Fugro will also support the safe removal and disposal of confirmed UXO in accordance with regulatory requirements, helping prepare the cable corridors for installation.
LanWin3 and LanWin6 are part of Germany’s expansion of its offshore wind energy infrastructure. Each grid connection is designed to transmit up to 2 GW of offshore wind power, giving the two projects a combined transmission capacity of 4 GW once completed.
