Boskalis has commenced work on what it describes as the largest project ever focused on the identification and clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO). The work is being carried out by the company's specialist subsidiary, Boskalis Hirdes EOD Services, off the coast of Zeebrugge, Belgium.
The project is being undertaken to enable the safe installation of subsea cables for the modular offshore grid 2 (MOG2), which will connect to the world's first artificial energy island, Princess Elisabeth Island. The company is using its backhoe dredger Manu Pekka and the diving pontoon Medusa 1 to investigate potential UXO targets.
The Medusa 1 will be deployed in the nearshore sections of the cable routes, where divers will carry out inspections on the seabed. The Manu Pekka is equipped with a multitool to search for ordnance in the deeper sections of the 55-kilometre-long cable route.
In a later phase of the project, the offshore vessel Kamara will be mobilised to work in the deepest parts of the route. The company stated that it is, "literally paving the way for a successful cable installation" for the development of the extensive renewable energy project.