Page 11: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (May/Jun 2023)

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FLOATING WIND INTERVIEW WITH ACTEON CCO BARRY PARSONS

Acteon is commercializing its next generation of seabed drilling and sampling robot, called

PROD5, to increase productivity and cut costs for ofshore renewables.

out how we’re going to do that is happening right now.” nect the geophysical survey to select the geotechnical

Projecting ‘where and when’ is a conundrum facing points of interest, acquire those samples, do that analysis many companies in the space, and while Parsons was re- and recommend the right mooring system, the right an- luctant to pick the frontrunners, he said: “In terms of a chor solution for the best performance and cost for the commercial scale project, I have a feeling that South Korea project,” said Parsons. Today Acteon has two agreements is going to be frst,” said Parsons. “Number two gets con- with offshore wind farm developers “of some note” to take fusing: the UK probably; the US possibly.” established, tried-and-true mooring systems that were de- veloped by Acteon for oil and gas, and to tailor them for a specifc foating wind requirement.

Logistics, Logistics, Logistics

As the size of turbines and projects grow for both fxed Parsons said he is “really encouraged” to see that there and foating offshore wind, the challenges within are not has been a lot of early engagement on foating wind with limited solely to technical solutions. The size and volume the developers. “They keenly recognize the technical chal- of components and systems that need to come together lenges, as well as the cost challenges that this industry is up seamlessly required a well-planned supply and logistics against,” said Parsons, “and getting up that curve is going chain, as quayside facilities – themselves in evolution to to determine the winners and the losers in this space.” handle the traffc – are going to be at a premium. In fact, he said that one foating project customer in the “That complex logistics and supply chain challenge is UK highlights the trend.

going to be signifcant,” said Parsons. “And [Acteon] has “Typically, customers would procure the geophysical a substantial track record over the decades of managing survey frst, then they acquire the geotechnical service, and reasonably complex logistics and supply chain ourselves.” we go out and take samples,” said Parsons. “This custom-

Specifcally for foating wind, the mooring system is er’s done it differently. They’ve engaged us early enough where a lot of the value, complexity and cost is tied up. that we’re going to deploy both. So, the geophysical does

Here, Parsons sees the breadth of the Acteon Group offers the initial acquisition, we select the geotechnical acquisi- as a substantial competitive advantage in helping players – tion sites and acquire those samples, and then we cycle, new and old – navigate the process. and we’re back in the feld with geophysical. The whole “Within Acteon, with our stable services, we can con- idea is to drive effciency.”

MAY/JUNE 2023 OFFSHORE ENGINEER 11