Anatec: Providing the shipping and navigation perspective

Anatec has been established for 20 years, carrying out shipping and navigation risk assessments for offshore renewables projects as well as other marine developments such as oil and gas installations, ports & harbours, nuclear, subsea cable routes and dredging activities in the UK and worldwide.

Anatec is the leading consultancy in its field and has been involved in UK offshore wind development since 2002, with continued involvement in both the UK and around the globe.

Scope of work: Anatec has worked on the Sofia project since the initial bids were prepared for wind farms on the Dogger Bank, providing input to the site selection from a shipping and navigation perspective. Anatec carried out shipping traffic surveys as well as the Navigational Risk Assessment which formed part of the projects' Environmental Statements. Most recently, Anatec has assisted Sofia in layout design and discharging consent conditions such as on-marking and lighting, and emergency response plans.

Economic and employment impact: Anatec’s expertise has developed through its work with the Sofia team and other offshore wind projects, and is now very much in demand internationally. The growing Aberdeen-based team now works on offshore wind projects worldwide. The team is also working on current UK project extensions, as well as future projects planned across the UK through Round 4 and ScotWind.

Training and development: Anatec continues to take on new graduates, as well as experienced personnel with a wide range of skill sets, to expand the team and support projects. Anatec participates in a number of Research and Development projects every year, including software development, to enhance the company’s capabilities in meeting assessment requirements.

"Anatec was involved from the initial Round 3 bid through to providing post consent support to the Sofia project. Sofia presented new challenges for consenting and designing its array given its distance offshore and its unique marine navigation environment, namely the Dogger Bank.

Anatec and the Sofia team have worked closely together throughout the process to ensure that Sofia Offshore Windfarm has considered all elements of navigational safety including emergency response and continues to maintain safe co-existence by working closely with key stakeholders and users.

It has been highly beneficial and rewarding for the company to be involved at all development stages, working for such a high profile project and client. The project has made a significant contribution to the company’s overall experience and profile and with the expertise gained from such projects Anatec now support large offshore wind farm developers all over the world."

- Sam Westwood, Head of Renewables, Anatec

July 2020