Wedoany.com Report-Apr. 14, RWE, a German energy company, has partnered with Hydrotechnik Offshore, a Germany-based developer of bubble curtain technology, to implement an underwater noise reduction system during monopile installation at the Sofia offshore wind farm. This marks the first use of such technology in the UK. The 1.4-gigawatt project is under construction on Dogger Bank, 195 kilometers off the UK coast, within the Southern North Sea Special Area of Conservation, a protected zone for harbor porpoises where noise levels are closely regulated.
The bubble curtain technology minimizes underwater noise from piling activities, reducing disturbances to marine life, including harbor porpoises, dolphins, and whales, which depend on ultrasound for navigation. The system uses a perforated hose laid on the seabed, forming a 180-meter-wide ring around the installation site. Compressed air pumped through the hose creates a steady stream of bubbles that rise to the surface, acting as a barrier to dampen sound waves and lower noise levels during construction.
A representative from RWE explained: “The bubble curtain reduces the propagation of underwater noise during piling operations and mitigates disturbances to marine species.” Similar systems have been successfully deployed in other offshore wind projects, such as Vattenfall’s DanTysk wind farm in Germany in 2013, EnBW’s He Dreiht project in Germany last year, and the Vineyard Wind 1 project in the United States.
At the Sofia site, Van Oord is installing monopile foundations using its jack-up vessel Aeolus. By March, over 60 of the 100 planned wind turbine foundations were in place, with the first turbine installed by Cadeler’s vessel Wind Peak. The wind farm is on track for commissioning in 2026, when it will generate enough electricity to power approximately 1.2 million UK homes.
The deployment of the bubble curtain reflects RWE’s commitment to balancing renewable energy development with environmental protection. By adopting this innovative technology, the Sofia project supports marine conservation while advancing the UK’s clean energy goals. Once operational, the wind farm will contribute significantly to sustainable energy production, harnessing offshore wind to meet the region’s growing electricity needs.
