ASC UK-Iceland Interconnector Survey Project

Contracted by MMT AB to provide specialist multibeam personnel onboard the MV Stril Explorer for the ASC UK-Iceland Interconnector Survey project. This Atlantic Superconnection Corporation project aims to construct a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electrical interconnector between Iceland and the UK. Once complete, this 1470km cable will be the longest sub-sea interconnector in the world, bringing 1.2 GW of sustainable geothermal power to 2 million British homes. The corridor survey will provide bathymetric and geophysical information along the proposed cable route. MMT’s new Surveyor Interceptor (SROV) will be utilised for the deeper part of the survey between the Faroe Islands and Iceland, with water depths up to 1100m. Capable of speeds up to 6 knots, the vehicle is equipped with a dual Kongsberg 2040 multibeam system, iXSea ROVINS and Sonardyne SPRINT inertial navigation systems, with a Cathx Ocean Imaging system used to take images of the seafloor rather than traditional grab samples. The EIVA software suite will be used for data acquisition and processing, with NaviModel used for cleaning, surface generation, data visualization and product generation.