Morlais and Leask Marine

Thursday 12th December, 2024

Morlais and Leask Marine collaboration key to Marinus buoy relaunch

The long-standing partnership between Menter Môn Morlais Ltd and marine engineering specialists, Leask Marine, reached another milestone recently with the reinstallation of the Marinus LiDAR buoy. Deployed off the coast of Holyhead, the buoy will play a crucial role in monitoring marine wildlife and environmental conditions as part of the Morlais tidal energy project.

Leask Marine, who have worked alongside Morlais for over 18 months, undertook the buoy’s redeployment following a period of refurbishment. The unmanned buoy was first deployed at the site by the Menter Môn-led, Marine Characterisation and Research Project (MCRP) in 2023.
 
Oliver Bethwaite, Operations Director at Leask Marine, welcomed the news of the successful relaunch, he said: “We’re delighted to continue our work with Morlais on such an important project. The redeployment of the Marinus buoy demonstrates how innovative marine engineering can support environmental stewardship in the renewable energy sector.”

The upgrades were completed by marine acoustics specialist, Seiche in line with the system integration, monitoring and mitigation (SIMA) contract, in partnership with underwater monitoring company, MarineSitu. The upgrades included state-of-the-art sonar imaging, acoustic monitoring, and video technology, all specifically calibrated to local conditions. The system will collect vital data which will ensure marine mammals and seabirds are safeguarded as the Morlais project progresses into operation.

The buoy’s advanced systems will also contribute to MarineSitu’s work of refining AI-driven monitoring technologies and updating the Morlais Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan (EMMP). This ensures that the project can adapt to its own evolving needs and those of the wider tidal energy industry.

Helen Roberts, is MCRP Project Manager at Menter Môn, she added: “This is a significant step forward for us and the tidal energy sector as a whole. The insights gained from the buoy will help ensure the effective protection of marine wildlife while advancing the sector’s environmental monitoring capabilities.”

Findings from the buoy’s current mission will be made available to tidal energy projects worldwide with the aim of promoting the growth of the sector. The first tidal energy devices are expected to be deployed in the Morlais zone from 2026.