Category Archives: Offshore

Additionally, the Hybrid AUV / ROV is equipped as a containerized spread to transform any vessel of opportunity into a survey and inspection platform in less than 18 hours. This allows deepwater assets and offshore wind operators to reduce their costs, risks, and carbon footprint by lowering offshore man-hours, chartering a DP1 or above vessel, and reducing shipping costs by using our containerized spread.

Manning continued, "We are also seeing requirements for inspection campaigns to now include LiDAR technology and the use of our SL Subsea LiDAR laser technology allows us to provide a fully integrated cost-effective path to our customers while maximizing vessel time (much faster than a normal work class ROV spread) on smaller footprint vessels thus reducing carbon emissions and cost."

The 3,000 meter rated dual hull Hybrid AUV / ROV is a hovering supervised addition that takes full advantage of 3D at Depth's patented SL Subsea LiDAR laser with remote sensing technology. This asset encompasses a tightly coupled class-leading inertial navigation package with fixed offsets to the sensor payload, which includes but is not limited to; 3D at Depth's SL3 LiDAR laser, Ultra-High Resolution multibeam echosounder, Sidescan sonar, multiple camera and light solutions, and a methane leak detection sensor. Additional sensors for level 2 inspections such as cathodic protection and flooded member detection are available as optional additions. Furthermore, the sensor payload is fully integrated with customized electronics and software that allows the Hybrid AUV / ROV to act as one tool, enable one set-up, and ultimately require one mobilization for multiple survey deliverables allowing for efficient and integrated operations.

According to the Company, its USBL acoustic positioning system and system communications come from a blend of industry-standard products with high track records in the marine environment for shallow and deep-water communications. This stable and capable platform enhances 3D at Depth's recently announced offshore Geophysical Survey Services division to provide optimized surveys to support medium to deep water (50m - 3000m) offshore development activities. The vehicle's stern also has a higher tolerance for currents with its low profile making it a useful tool for offshore windfarm work where currents are a factor in shallow water operations, and in other scopes including pre- and post- pipeline routes, environmental site surveys, offshore hydrocarbon projects, and civil engineering surveys.

3D at Depth's existing Marine Survey Services and new Geophysical Survey Services are greatly enhanced by having access to the Hybrid AUV / ROV. The Hybrid AUV / ROV being fully integrated with the company's custom software, electronics, and patented SL Subsea LIDAR laser technology greatly improves its usefulness and effectiveness, something which is sure to deliver great value to 3D at Depth's client base.

3D at Depth will host virtual and small in-person demonstrations that are respectful of COVID-19 in Houston during the month of June 2021. Interested parties are asked to express their interest in attending the demonstration by visiting http://bit.ly/3DatDepth-Demo.

About 3D at Depth

3D at Depth, Inc. provides advanced subsea SL Subsea LiDAR laser systems, survey support services, and 3D point cloud collection, visualization, and analysis solutions to help clients optimize marine, underwater, and offshore survey campaigns. Precise, repeatable, millimetric 3D point clouds acquired through patented SL Subsea LiDAR laser technology allow clients to "measure in 3D and manage in 4D" to increase operational efficiencies and reduce downtime. The Company's locations in Australia, Europe, and the United States support customer survey operations around the world. For more information and a broader listing of services visit us at http://www.3datdepth.com and LinkedIn, or follow us on Twitter @3DatDepth.

Media at 3D at Depth

Media Contact:3D at Depth:Alma Alling+1.832-800-4010[emailprotected]

SOURCE 3D at Depth, Inc.

http://www.3datdepth.com

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3D at Depth Strengthens Its Position in the Offshore Integrity and Inspection Industry - PRNewswire

Dogger Bank Wind Farm, the worlds largest offshore wind project, will use what the developers say is a revolutionary platform design, unveiling the worlds first unmanned High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) offshore substation.

When complete in 2026, the 3.6 GW Dogger Bank wind farm will become the biggest in the world, able to produce enough electricity to power around five per cent of the UKs electricity demand. The wind farm is located over 130 kilometres out to sea.

A joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor, and Eni, is leading on the construction and delivery of the wind farm. Equinor will operate Dogger Bank on completion for its lifetime of up to 35 years.

First Offshore Wind Project to Use HVDC Tech in UK

Dogger Bank will be the first offshore wind project in the UK to use HVDC technology to transmit the electricity produced back to shore.

Upon the first installation in Dogger Bank A during 2023, the projects HVDC facility will also become the largest-ever at 1.2 GW, a scale-up from the previous industry benchmark of 0.8 GW, the developers said.

Weve committed to build this project with record low CfD strike prices and the associated benefits this provides to UK electricity consumers, said Steve Wilson, Project Director of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

We will do this by using the latest technologies to ensure we build and operate the wind farm efficiently, while achieving the highest standards in safety. In order to build this complex infrastructure project competitively, whilst introducing a new technical solution here in the UK, the Dogger Bank project team needed to drive a huge step change in design.

70 Per Cent Weight Reduction

Working closely with platform manufacturer Aibel, the Dogger Bank team were challenged to design the first unmanned offshore HVDC substation in the world.

Removing the need for personnel to stay on the platform meant it was then possible to eliminate elements such as the living quarters, helideck and sewage systems, resulting in a 70 per cent reduction in weight (per megawatt) of the topside compared to previous platforms installed, and cost savings of hundreds of millions of pounds, the developers said.

Traditional methods have been effective at transmitting electricity from wind farms that are closer to shore, but with Dogger Bank being so far from shore, we chose to use HVDC as it is much more efficient to transfer electricity over long distances, Jon Kippenes, Offshore Platform Manager for Dogger Bank, said.

As the first project to do this in the UK we were faced with potentially high costs and uncertainty, but by taking learnings from unmanned installation in Oil and Gas, and working closely with our supplier we have designed an innovative and safe platform with huge reductions in weight. This of course lowers the cost for this project, but also sets a new standard for offshore HVDC platforms. The Dogger Bank transmission concept was turned from being the projects Achilles heel into a competitive edge.

It is expected that re-use of design and execution method may give significant benefits to future HVDC projects of similar transmission capacity.

Dogger Bank A and B is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40 per cent), Equinor (40 per cent) and Eni (20 per cent). Dogger Bank C is a 50:50 joint venture between SSE Renewables and Equinor.

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Dogger Bank Wind Farm to Feature Unmanned HVDC Offshore Substations - Offshore WIND

Offshore staff

STAVANGER, Norway Polands Energy Regulatory Office has awarded contracts for difference (CfD) to Equinor and Polenergias Batyk II and Batyk III offshore wind projects in the Baltic Sea.

This award confirms the projects inclusion in the first phase of Polands offshore wind development plan. The country wants to develop 5.9 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and up to 11 GW by 2040.

Pl Eitrheim, Equinors executive vice president for New Energy Solutions, said: The CfD awards to the Batyk II and Batyk III projects represent a breakthrough for Equinor in Poland and supports the countrys ambitions to transform its energy mix. Full-scale development of the two projects will constitute an offshore wind hub in the Baltic Sea.

The CfDs are awarded at PLN 319.60 per MWh for up to 25 years, subject to some adjustments and final approval from Polish authorities and the European Commission.

With a combined capacity of 1,440 MW, Batyk II and Batyk III could power two million Polish homes.

Pending all necessary agreements and permits, and subject to the final investment decision from Equinor and Polenergia, construction work could start as early as 2024. Equinor will operate the projects through the development, construction, and operations phases.

The projects cover a combined area of about 240 sq km (93 sq mi) located between 22 km and 37 km (14 mi and 23 mi) from the Polish coast. The water depths range from 25 to 40 m (82 to 131 ft).

Ingunn Svegrden, Equinors vice president for Emerging Regions in New Energy Solutions, said: The Baltic Sea will be a significant resource for offshore wind energy, and we are only in the early stages of realizing its full potential.

Equinor is jointly developing the Batyk I, Batyk II and Batyk III projects with Polenergia.

05/04/2021

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Poland selects two Equinor offshore wind projects - Offshore Oil and Gas Magazine

Will Trepp of Greenwich, Connecticut, shows off a spotted seatrout caught April 23 in Sarasota Bay while using shiners for bait. The fishing trip with Capt. Warren Girle turned productive in the afternoon, with several mackerel, jacks, redfish and snook on the hook. Islander Courtesy Photo

Fishing inshore around Anna Maria Island is exceptional. And whats so encouraging is that the fishing will only get better as we approach summer.

Catch-and-release spotted seatrout have invaded the deeper grass flats in great numbers providing great action on light- to medium-spinning gear. Most catches are 12-18 inches, with larger fish up to 24 inches in the mix.

While targeting the catch-and-release trout, anglers are hooking into various other species, including bluefish, jack crevalle, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel. With the abundance of all the species on the flats, you can bet to experience some great rod-bending action on your next adventure on the water.

And it doesnt stop there.

Fishing the shallower grass flats for catch-and-release snook is in high gear. Schooley-size fish 20-26 inches are cooperating when offered free-lined live shiners. With water temps in the mid- to upper-70s, the snook are feisty as they take the hook. Numerous jumps and drag-screaming runs across the flats are why these fish hold such an adoration with inshore fishers. And, lucky anglers are finding slot-sized catch-and-release redfish mixed in with the snook bite. Most catches are 20-25 inches. These fish are especially apparent when fishing areas where oyster bars exist.

Moving offshore, mangrove snapper are becoming more prevalent as the water temperatures rise. Fish up to 9 pounds are being caught around structure and hard bottom offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. And, if you know about mangrove snapper, you know a nice 9-pounder is a force. Better have your stout gear ready to stand a chance against one of these large mangoes.

Red grouper are coming to the bait while offshore, especially around Swiss cheese bottom and ledges. Lastly, pelagics blackfin tuna and amberjack are being caught around offshore wrecks.

On my Southernaire charters, Im finding the flats fishing for catch-and-release spotted seatrout to be quite fulfilling. During swift incoming tides, Im seeing 20-40 trout coming to the boat while fishing over deeper grass flats.

Mixed in are some Spanish mackerel and a bonus this week we had several cobia and a couple of tarpon take baits. Its always a shocker when youre expecting to set the hook on a trout and instead, it turns out to be a 40-pound tarpon. Not a bad trade-off.

As for the cobia, all were under-size, but still, a fun catch when casting bait in 5 feet of water.

Catch-and-release snook fishing along the mangroves also is keeping my clients busy. Most are 18-24 inches, although a couple of slot-size fish are managing to slip into the lineup. Im also excited to see some catch-and-release redfish mixed in with the snook bite.

Capt. Jason Stock says the mangrove snapper bite is going strong while working offshore for his charters. Most catches are 3-5 pounds, although some mangoes are reaching 9 pounds. If you know anything about mangrove snapper, a 9-pounder is a really big one and it makes for a filling saute pan.

Also, while bottom fishing offshore, Stock is putting clients on numerous red grouper as well as catch-and-release gag grouper and catch-and-release red snapper. Fishing baits toward the surface is also providing good action especially for blackfin tuna and catch-and-release amberjack.

Capt. Warren Girle is catching his fair share of catch-and-release redfish while in Sarasota Bay. Dock fishing for reds in the bay is offering the best action, although Girle is hooking some along the mangroves shorelines, too. Targeting catch-and-release spotted seatrout in the deeper grass flats provides the best action for Girles sport anglers. Many of the spotted seatrout are being caught and released plus hes finding ladyfish, bluefish and Spanish mackerel on the hook.

Lastly, catch-and-release snook fishing is on fire along the shallow grass flats where mangroves and oyster bars exist.

Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel sees a mixed bag of fish. Pier anglers using live fish as bait are hooking into some black drum, flounder and some catch-and-release redfish. A few catch-and-release snook are being caught on shrimp, too, but live pinfish are working as bait for the linesiders. Those pier fishers opting to use artificials are finding action on macks, jack crevalle and ladyfish. All three species are hitting silver spoons, Gotcha plugs and small jigs.

Capt. David White says the macks are a good bet while casting in Tampa Bay. Fishing around artificial reefs, wrecks or rock piles is proving to be good. Free-lining live shiners combined with a long shank hook in these areas is resulting in numerous hookups for Whites anglers.

Moving to the grass flats, White is finding action on catch-and-release snook and redfish. Both are taking offerings of live shiners as bait. Lastly, fishing along the beaches with live shrimp is working well for the black drum bite.

Capt. Aaron Lowman is finding some great shallow-water action by instructing clients to cast live shiners along mangrove shorelines and across the open grass flats. Catch-and-release species redfish and gator trout also are being caught in these areas. Fishing around the strongest parts of the tide is key to this bite, according to Lowman, who adds, catch-and-release snook fishing is occurring in the same areas.

Fishing deeper grass flats is yielding catch-and-release spotted seatrout. These trout arent topping the 20-inch mark, but the number of fish makes up for their size. Mixed in with this bite are plenty of jack crevalle and Spanish mackerel.

Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.

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Warmer weather heats up the inshore, offshore catch - The Anna Maria Islander

Highlights

Project has maximum capacity of 880 MW

Expected in service around mid-decade

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management April 29 said it is preparing an environmental review for the 880-MW offshore Revolution Wind project to supply power to Rhode Island and Massachusetts, a key regulatory milestone for the project and east coast offshore wind development.

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The process starts with the publication of a Notice of Intent that opens a 30-day public comment period, during which time BOEM will hold three virtual public scoping meetings and accept comments to inform the preparation of the environmental impact statement, according to the agency.

"Public input plays an essential role in identifying and mitigating any potential impacts from proposed energy development activities," BOEM Director Amanda Lefton, said in a statement.

The Revolution Wind project has 400 MW of capacity contracted for delivery to Rhode Island and 304 MW contracted with utility offtakers in Connecticut. The project is being jointly developed by Massachusetts-based Eversource Energy and Denmark-based rsted.

"rsted and Eversource are pleased that BOEM has issued its Notice of Intent for Revolution Wind, representing the start of the project's formal federal environmental review and marking the project's most significant permitting milestone to-date," the developers said in an emailed statement.

"We look forward to BOEM's review as it moves toward issuing a final Environmental Impact Statement for this historic offshore wind project," Revolution said.

The Biden administration has set a target of 30 GW of installed offshore wind power capacity by 2030. The US currently has a 30-MW offshore wind project operating in state waters off Rhode Island and a 12-MW pilot project in federal waters offshore Virginia.

The Revolution Wind project would be in federal waters roughly 17 nautical miles south of Rhode Island, with the transmission cable making landfall at Quonset Point in North Kingstown. The wind power would interconnect to the electric transmission system via the existing Davisville Substation, which is owned and operated by National Grid, in North Kingstown, according to BOEM.

The project would have a total capacity between 704 MW and 880 MW generated from 100 turbines and up to two offshore substations, BOEM said.

Revolution Wind is "unlikely to achieve" an end of 2023 in-service date, according to an investor presentation discussed during Eversource's first quarter 2021 earnings call. Executives had previously expected the project to enter service by the end of 2023, but blamed permitting delays for pushing back the timeline.

BOEM issued a final environmental impact statement March 8 for the 800-MW Vineyard Wind offshore wind farm off the Massachusetts Coast, which was an important offshore wind industry milestone as it represented the penultimate step in the federal permitting process for the Vineyard Wind 1 project, which if approved, would be the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the US.

Other recent developments include Maine proposing legislation on April 28 to prohibit offshore wind power development in state waters for ten years to protect the fishing industry.

Wind development will be supported in federal waters further offshore, according to a statement from Governor Janet Mills' office.

The moratorium would set aside state waters for "valuable fishing and recreation," while reaffirming Maine's priority of locating offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine's federal waters where the state has proposed the nation's first research array for floating offshore wind technology, the statement said.

Nearly 75% of Maine's commercial lobster harvesting occurs in state waters, the governor's office said.

"Fundamentally, I do not believe offshore wind and Maine's fishing industry are mutually exclusive," Mills said.

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US federal environmental review started for offshore Revolution Wind power project - S&P Global

The Guantnamo conundrum never seems to end.

Twelve years ago, I had other expectations. I envisioned a writing project that I had no doubt would be part of my future: an account of Guantnamo's last 100 days. I expected to narrate in reverse, the episodes in a book I had just published, The Least Worst Place: Guantnamo's First 100 Days, aboutwell, the title makes it all too obviousthe initial days at that grim offshore prison. They began on January 11, 2002, as the first hooded prisoners of the American war on terror were ushered off a plane at that American military base on the island of Cuba.

Needless to say, I never did write that book. Sadly enough, in the intervening years, there were few signs on the horizon of an imminent closing of that U.S. military prison. Weeks before my book was published in February 2009, President Barack Obama did, in fact, promise to close Guantnamo by the end of his first year in the White House. That hope began to unravel with remarkable speed. By the end of his presidency, his administration had, in fact, managed to release 197 of the prisoners held there without chargesmany, including Mohamedou Ould Slahi, the subject of the film The Mauritanian, had also been torturedbut 41 remained, including the five men accused but not yet tried for plotting the 9/11 attacks. Forty remain there to this very day.

Nearly 20 years after it began, the war in Afghanistan that launched this country's Global War on Terror and the indefinite detention of prisoners in that facility offshore of American justice is now actually slated to end. President Biden recently insisted that it is indeed "time to end America's longest war" and announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from that country by September 11th, the 20th anniversary of al-Qaeda's attack on the United States.

It makes sense, of course, that the conclusion of those hostilities would indeed be tied to the closure of the now-notorious Guantnamo Bay detention facility. Unfortunately, for reasons that go back to the very origins of the war on terror, ending the Afghan part of this country's "forever wars" may not presage the release of those "forever prisoners," as New York Times reporter Carol Rosenberg so aptly labeled them years ago.

Biden and Guantnamo

Just as President Biden has a history, dating back to his years as Obama's vice-president, of wanting to curtail the American presence in Afghanistan, so he called years ago for the closure of Guantnamo. As early as June 2005, then-Senator Biden expressed his desire to shut that facility, seeing it as a stain on this country's reputation abroad.

At the time, he proposed that an independent commission take a look at Guantnamo Bay and make recommendations as to its future. "But," he said then, "I think we should end up shutting it down, moving those prisoners. Those that we have reason to keep, keep. And those we don't, let go." Sixteen years later, he has indeed put in motion an interagency review to look into that detention facility's closing. Hopefully, once he receives its report, his administration can indeed begin to shut the notorious island prison down. (And this time, it could even work.)

It's true that, in 2021, the idea of shutting the gates on Guantnamo has garnered some unprecedented mainstream support. As part of his confirmation process, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, for instance, signaled his support for its closure. And Congress, long unwilling to lend a hand, has offered some support as well. On April 16th, 24 Democratic senators signed a letter to the president calling that facility a "symbol of lawlessness and human rights abuses" that "continues to harm U.S. national security" and demanding that it be shut.

As those senators wrote,

"For nearly two decades, the offshore prison has damaged America's reputation, fueled anti-Muslim bigotry, and weakened the United States' ability to counter terrorism and fight for human rights and the rule of law around the world. In addition to the $540 million in wasted taxpayer dollars each year to maintain and operate the facility, the prison also comes at the price of justice for the victims of 9/11 and their families, who are still waiting for trials to begin."

Admittedly, the number of signatories on that letter raises many questions, including why there aren't more (and why there isn't a single Republican among them). Is it just a matter of refusing to give up old habits or does it reflect a lack of desire to address an issue long out of the headlines? Where, for example, was Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's name, not to mention those other 25 missing Democratic senatorial signatures?

And there's another disappointment lurking in its text. While those senators correctly demanded a reversal of the Trump administration's "erroneous and troubling legal positions" regarding the application of international and domestic law to Guantnamo, they failed to expand upon the larger context of that forever nightmare of imprisonment, lawlessness, and cruelty that affected the war-on-terror prisoners at Guantnamo as well as at the CIA's "black sites" around the world.

Still, that stance by those two-dozen senators is significant, since Congress has, in the past, taken such weak positions on closing the prison. As such, it provides some hope for the future.

For the rest of Congress and the rest of us, when thinking about finally putting Guantnamo in the history books, it's important to remember just what a vast deviation it proved to be from the law, justice, and the norms of this society. It's also worth thinking about the American "detainees" there in the context of what normally happens when wars end.

Prisoners of War

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Defying custom and law, the American war in Afghanistan broke through norms like a battering ram through a gossamer wall. Guantnamo was created in just that context, a one-of-a-kind institution for this country. Now, so many years later, it's poised to break through yet another norm.

Usually, at the end of hostilities, battlefield detainees are let go. As Geneva Convention III, the law governing the detention and treatment of prisoners of war, asserts: "Prisoners of war shall be released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities."

That custom of releasing prisoners has, in practice, pertained not only to those held on or near the battlefield but even to those detained far from the conflict. Before the Geneva Conventions were created, the custom of releasing such prisoners was already in place in the United States. Notably, during World War II, the U.S. held 425,000 mostly German prisoners in more than 500 camps in this country. When the war ended, however, they were released and the vast majority of them were returned to their home countries.

When it comes to the closure of Guantnamo, however, we can't count on such an ending. Two war-on-terror realities stand in the way of linking the coming end of hostilities in Afghanistan to the shutting down of that prison. First, the Authorization for the Use of Military Force that Congress passed right after the 9/11 attacks was not geographically defined or limited to the war in Afghanistan. It focused on but was not confined to two groups, the Taliban and al-Qaeda, as well as anyone else who had contributed to the attacks of 9/11. As such, it was used as well to authorize military engagementsand the capture of prisonersoutside Afghanistan. Since 2001, in fact, it has been cited to authorize the use of force in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and elsewhere.Of the 780 prisoners held at Guantnamo Bay at one time or another, more than a third came from Afghanistan; the remaining two-thirds were from 48 other countries.

A second potential loophole exists when it comes to the release of prisoners as that war ends. The administration of George W. Bush rejected the very notion that those held at Guantnamo were prisoners of war, no matter how or where they had been captured. As non-state actors, according to that administration, they were exempted from prisoner of war status, which is why they were deliberately labeled "detainees."

Little wonder then that, despite Secretary of Defense Austin's position on Guantnamo, as the New York Times recently reported, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby "argued that there was no direct link between its future and the coming end to what he called the 'mission' in Afghanistan."

In fact, even if that congressional authorization for war and the opening of Guantnamo on which it was based never were solely linked to the conflict in Afghanistan, it's time, almost two decades later, to put an end to that quagmire of a prison camp and the staggering exceptions that it's woven into this country's laws and norms since 2002.

A "Forever Prison"?

The closing of Guantnamo would finally signal an end to the otherwise endless proliferation of exceptions to the laws of war as well as to U.S. domestic and military legal codes. As early as June 2004, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor flagged the possibility that a system of indefinite detention at Guantnamo could create a permanent state of endless legal exceptionalism.

She wrote an opinion that month in a habeas corpus case for the release of a Guantnamo detainee, the dual U.S.-Saudi citizen Yaser Hamdi, warning that the prospect of turning that military prison into a never-ending exception to wartime detention and its laws posed dangers all its own. As she put it, "We understand Congress' grant of authority for the use of 'necessary and appropriate force' to include the authority to detain for the duration of the relevant conflict, and our understanding is based on longstanding law-of-war principles." She also acknowledged that, "If the practical circumstances of a given conflict are entirely unlike those of the conflicts that informed the development of the law of war, that [the] understanding [of release upon the end of hostilities] may unravel. But," she concluded, "that is not the situation we face as of this date."

Sadly enough, 17 years later, it turns out that the detention authority may be poised to outlive the use of force. Guantnamo has become an American institution at the cost of $13 million per prisoner annually. The system of offshore injustice has, by now, become part and parcel of the American system of justiceour very own "forever prison."

The difficulty of closing Guantnamo has shown that once you move outside the laws and norms of this country in a significant way, the return to normalcy becomes ever more problematicand the longer the exception, the harder such a restoration will be. Remember that, before his presidency was over, George W. Bush went on record acknowledging his preference for closing Guantnamo. Obama made it a goal of his presidency from the outset. Biden, with less fanfare and the lessons of their failures in mind, faces the challenge of finally closing America's forever prison.

With all that in mind, let me offer you a positive twist on this seemingly never-ending situation. I won't be surprised if, in fact, President Biden actually does manage to close Guantnamo. He may not do so as a result of the withdrawal of all American forces from Afghanistan, but because he seems to have a genuine urge to shut the books on the war on terror, or at least the chapter of it initiated on 9/11.

And if he were also to shut down that prison, in the spirit of that letter from the Democratic senators, it would be because of Guantnamo's gross violations of American laws and norms. While the letter did not go so far as to name the larger war-on-terror sins of the past, it did at least draw attention directly to the wrongfulness of indefinite detention as a system created expressly to evade the lawand one that brought ill-repute to the United States globally.

That closure should certainly happen under President Biden. After all, any other course is not only legally unacceptable, but risks perpetuating the idea that this country continues to distrust the principles of law, human rights, and due processindeed, the very fundamentals of a democratic system.

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Will America's Forever Offshore Prison Ever Be Closed? - Common Dreams

UK-based consultancy BVG Associates is working with the Government of Azerbaijan and the World Bank to assess Azerbaijans offshore wind potential.

As reported, Azerbaijan recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the World Banks International Finance Corporation (IFC) to cooperate on the use of offshore wind energy.

BVG Associates work will develop a roadmap for offshore wind, which is one of the key objectives of the MoU.

Other objectives of the MoU include the promotion of renewable energy use and supporting private sector participation to improve the energy sectors financial sustainability and efficiency.

BVGA will work with the World Bank team to establish the best locations for Azerbaijan offshore wind.

The ranking of suitable wind energy areas will identify preferred development areas, including a demonstration project.

The roadmap will combine geospatial analysis, cost modelling and economic analysis, supply chain and infrastructure assessment, consideration of social and environmental impacts, and detailed industry and stakeholder consultation.

BVGA will lead the delivery of the roadmap through 2021 with technical support from Atkins and Encotec in Azerbaijan.

A recent study carried out by Aegir Insights estimated Azerbaijans technical offshore wind potential in the Caspian Sea at 170 GW.

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BVG Associates to Gauge Offshore Wind Potential in Azerbaijan - Offshore WIND

In recent years, New Jersey has seen the emergence of two completely new industries marijuana and deep-sea wind energy production.

The marijuana industry has received more attention, in part because use of marijuana had been illegal in the state until the passage of new laws. Medical marijuana was enacted in 2010. It took until February 22 of this year- more than a decade later- before recreational marijuana use became legal. During that period, scores of pro- marijuana businesses and groups spent more nearly $6.7 million on lobbying.

Less noticed was the fact that during the same period, about a dozen firms and associations that support offshore windmills spent nearly $4.2 million on lobbying.

It is not unusual for representatives of new industries to recruit lobbyists to help lay the groundwork for their entry into the states marketplace.

Businesses may need access to key legislative and executive branch contacts, legislation, regulations, permits, financial incentives or other government support for their budding enterprises.

Of course, there also could be some lobbying against the new industries.

While the erection of large windmills off the New Jersey coast doesnt stir as much controversy as marijuana use, some fear the several-hundred-foot-tall wind towers could harm marine life or birds, or be an aesthetic turn-off for tourists. Supporters defend them as a new source of clean energy, a tool for fighting global warming and a pool of new jobs.

State officials already have announced that Lower Alloways Creek Township in Salem County will be the nations first windmill fabrication and staging site with support from the Paulsboro Marine Terminal.

Governor Phil Murphy has issued three executive orders intended to speed the construction of ocean-based windmills. The most recent one issued on November 19, 2019 set a goal of constructing enough wind turbines to supply 7,500 megawatts of electricity by 2035. That is enough electricity to power to more than 3.2 million New Jersey homes.

Total global production in early 2020 was about 6,100 megawatts generated by 5,500 windmills mostly located off China, Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Belgium, according to Offshore Wind for America. The first offshore windfarm was sited off Denmark in 1991. The report was published in March 2021 by Environment America Research and Policy Center and Frontier Group.

The report said the seabeds off New Jersey and other northeast states are well-suited for ocean-sited windmills. The Atlantic region, especially the Northeast, has strong, consistent wind and a wide, shallow continental shelf, making deployment of offshore wind relatively straightforward using existing technology.

rsted North America Inc., a Danish firm that operates the sole offshore wind farm in the nation off Rhode Island, has been chosen in New Jersey to develop its first 1,100-megawatt wind farm about 15 miles off Atlantic City. It hopes to be operational by 2024.

rsted has spent the most on lobbying over the decade- just over $1 million.

Other spenders on the list either have proposed or are planning to propose their own sea-based wind farms, or are involved in support industries such as manufacturing and transmission.

Joseph Donohue is the deputy executive director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.

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Offshore Wind Power Developers Have Spent Almost $4.2 million on Lobbying During Past Decade - New Jersey Globe | New Jersey Politics

My experience as second license on an offshore crew-boat, working out of Rockport, Texas, suggests that offshore wind farms will create reefs that will be impermeable by mobile net gear, and thus make a refuge for fish to grow and spawn.

When we delivered cargoes to manned offshore rigs, we would then tie up to an unmanned rig in a cluster of unmanned rigs and fish with hook and line over the side for grouper and snapper. We caught very large fish, in numbers suggesting that the unmanned rigs acted as nurseries for fish that otherwise would be killed by mobile net gear before they reached maximum-sized maturity.

The larger the fish, the better the spawner. Remember, before the advent of engine-driven mobile net gear, 30- to 50-pound cod were the norm, caught on grounds located with Marks Books within sight of shore marks.

William Burgess LeavenworthSearsmont

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Letter to the editor: Offshore wind farms have benefits for fishermen - pressherald.com

rsted and the cable protection systems (CPS) manufacturer Tekmar are jointly trying to identify the root cause of the inter-array cable issue identified at the Race Bank wind farm offshore UK earlier this year.

As reported earlier, rsted flagged the issue in its Q1 2021 interim report, saying that apart from Race Bank, up to nine other offshore wind farms in the UK and Continental Europe could be affected, with the cost of remedial work and repairs potentially reaching up to DKK 3 billion (EUR 403 million) over the next three years.

The main issue noted by rsted relates to the abrasion of legacy CPSs caused by movement of the CPS over the rock-scour installed on the seabed.

During a conference call, rsted noted that the potential reason for the damage done to the CPSs was due to a change in cable installation methodology across the ten projects, where a second layer of rock was not used to stabilise the cable.

We are in discussions with rsted relating to the protection of their installed array cables on one offshore wind farm project, namely Race Bank in the UK, and are supporting them to identify the root cause and remedial actions through standard operational engagement, Ally MacDonald, CEO of Tekmar Group, said.

The installation and maintenance of cables and cable protection systems in challenging subsea environments is complex and failure can be the result of many factors, including areas we are not involved in such as installation and scour protection. The technology solution continues to evolve as the industry matures to meet the changing requirements to support offshore wind projects, such that CPS abrasion is not expected to be an issue for future installations.

MacDonald also added that at this stage Tekmar does not anticipate a material financial impact related to the ongoing discussions with rsted.

Shares in Tekmar were down 12.71 per cent as of 4 May, 9:36 AM GMT.

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rsted and Tekmar Tackle Array Cable Issue at Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm - Offshore WIND