OMM in Baltic Sea Boulder Dash

Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has cleared 5,000+ boulders from a 30km area in the German Baltic Sea, creating the pathway for an export cable to connect an offshore wind farm to the shore landing site.

Image source: Offshore Marine Management

The works included three specialist vessels removing boulders ranging in sizes of up to 2 meters across a range of depths, including deep water to exceptionally shallow water with 5 meters or less.

OMM said it had to adapt its techniques to the marine environment, which required a high level of control when mitigating the risk of weather and collision with boulders on the seabed.

According to the company, through a combination of project planning and execution skills, teamwork, and the application of the latest technology, a clearance rate in excess of 100 boulders per day was achieved.

In addition, utilizing its approved supply chain to pull together the offshore management and team, specialized tools for water depths and the selection of the right vessel partner helped in completing the project a month ahead of schedule, said OMM.