Underwater Noise: A New Offshore Design Criterion
The launch of the Searénité consortium marks a structural shift in offshore wind engineering: underwater noise is no longer a side effect but a design variable.
Driven by companies such as EDF Power Solutions and Heerema Marine Contractors, the project seeks to integrate acoustic mitigation from the conceptual phase of foundations.
The most relevant fact is that the industry is beginning to internalize environmental restrictions as engineering parameters, not just as regulatory requirements.
SubSea Quieter®: Applied Acoustic Engineering
The technological solution is based on SubSea Quieter®, developed by Sealence, which uses flexible inflatable panels deployed around structures during installation.
These systems act as acoustic barriers that attenuate the propagation of sound waves generated by activities such as pile driving or jacket installation.
From a physical point of view, the technology modifies the acoustic impedance of the medium, reducing the transmission of sound energy into the marine environment.
Integration into Floating and Jacket Foundations
One of Searénité’s biggest technical challenges is adapting this technology to complex configurations such as jacket foundations and deep-water anchoring systems for floating turbines.
Companies like Smulders and Menck contribute expertise in structural interfaces and acoustic modeling to ensure operational compatibility.
The development includes hydrodynamic simulations and controlled condition tests down to depths of 300 meters, validating performance in real offshore scenarios.
Modeling, Validation, and Industrial Scalability
The Searénité project includes an initial phase focused on advanced acoustic modeling and laboratory validation, followed by pilot tests and full-scale demonstrations.
RTE’s participation ensures a validation environment under real operating conditions, key for industrial adoption.
This approach reduces technical uncertainty and accelerates the transition from prototypes to commercially viable solutions in wind farms.
Implications: Towards Environmentally Integrated Offshore Wind
Underwater noise mitigation emerges as a new axis of competitiveness in offshore projects, especially in markets with high environmental regulatory pressure.
The Searénité consortium demonstrates that sustainability depends not only on renewable generation but also on how infrastructure is implemented.
At a strategic level, this initiative redefines offshore design towards a multidisciplinary approach, where structural, acoustic, and environmental engineering converge to enable a truly sustainable energy transition.
Source: https://sealence.green/
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