LIDAR Buoy ballast

Cammel Laird Shipbuilding needed guidance and technical assistance on ballasting options for a new prototype LiDAR Buoy for their client Babcock Wind Energy. Due to the compact design, and client requirements, traditional ballasting methods were identified as not been a feasible option to provide the operational accuracy needed for the prototype buoy.

After working closely with the designer, engineers, and fabricator, we were able to establish that ULTIBALLAST would meet the client’s requirement, allowing the buoy to be submerged to the correct level and the mast to remain vertical. ULTIBALLAST was offered with a specific gravity in the 3.8t/m³ range, as a fully stiffened product, providing a structural strength of 25kN/mm² to meet client requirements.

ULTIBALLAST was produced at a local Tarmac readymix plant and transported to the fabrication yard on the River Mersey. It was installed by our experienced installation team, while the LiDAR unit was supported on 6no load cells which monitored the exact density being placed within the tank. The production and installation team achieved an accuracy of less than 25kg of the target density on a production and placement quantity of 25 tonnes. The unit was successfully installed offshore by the client, to gather and transmit data for a proposed new wind farm.