7.00pm to 8.30pm

Ticket costs £16/£10/£7 Members – SUT Members use code OCEANS7 at the checkout to pay at the Royal Institution member rate of £7.

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Our oceans hide a myriad of worlds. From trenches that are deeper than our tallest mountains to volcanoes and thermal vents teeming with life, how do we explore what lies beneath?

Join oceanographer and renowned explorer Captain Don Walsh, undersea explorer Victor Vescovo and submarine engineer Patrick Lahey, as they recount their experiences of diving to the deepest points on Earth.

In this conversation, discover the challenges of visiting such depths and the panel’s vision for the future of deep-ocean exploration.

This event takes place ahead of Victor Vescovo and Patrick Lahey being presented with the Society for Underwater Technology/Marine Technology Society, Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration, in recognition of their achievements during The Five Deeps Expedition, to the deepest point in each of the world’s oceans. They receive their Awards at Oceanology International 2022 | Oi London on 15 March.

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Dr Don Walsh is an American oceanographer, explorer and marine policy specialist. He and Jacques Piccard were aboard the bathyscaphe Trieste when it made a record maximum descent into the Challenger Deep on January 23, 1960, the deepest point of the world’s oceans. He has spent the past four decades involved with design, manufacture, and operation of submersible systems. A retired naval officer (submarines) he was designated U.S. Navy deep submersible pilot #1 in the early 1970s. During 2001, in addition to Atlantic Sands, he has participated in diving operations at the battleship Bismarck and RMS Titanic. On 20 July 2001, he had lunch on board the Titanic, when the Mir 2 landed on the bridge so the sub crew could eat.

Victor Vescovo launched the Five Deeps Expedition in 2018 to thoroughly map and visit the bottom of all five of the world’s oceans by the end of September 2019. They achieved this and carried out biological samplings and depth confirmations at each location. Besides the deepest points of the five world oceans, the expedition also made dives in the Horizon Deep and the Sirena Deep, and mapped the Diamantina Fracture Zone.

Patrick Lahey is the co-founder and President of Triton Submarines based in Sebastian, Florida. He recently became the second Canadian to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench and the first person to dive the Challenger Deep twice while accompanied by another explorer. Patrick also successfully completed the world’s deepest ever salvage operation at 10,927 meters during one of his historic dives in the Mariana Trench.

For further information click here.

13:30 – 14:30 BST

Speaker – Daniel Buhagiar, Co-Founder / CEO, FLASC B.V.

Offshore renewables can provide us with more clean energy than we need. The problem is that variable renewable energy supply and consumer energy demands do not always match. This limits the use of large-scale renewables, such as offshore wind, as a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

The FLASC technology can store energy where it is being produced, and use it when it is needed. It is a suitable buffer that can store excess energy production and deliver it later to compensate for deficits to meet demand. The technology can take an intermittent renewable resource and turn it into a predictable source of clean energy.

Agenda

• The Problem: Mismatch between Renewable Energy Supply / Consumer Demand
• Why Offshore Energy Storage?
• The FLASC Hydro-Pneumatic Energy Storage Solution
• Past and ongoing progress on prototyping / technology upscaling
• Different Embodiments of the Technology from subsea oil & gas to floating wind.
• Our collaboration with Subsea 7
• Cost / Business Case
• Next Steps / Upcoming Development

Daniel Buhagiar is the CEO and a co-founder of FLASC B.V., a start-up with an award-winning energy storage solution for offshore applications. He is a mechanical engineer and holds a PhD from the University of Malta, during which he developed FLASC’s patented hydro-pneumatic energy storage technology. At FLASC, Daniel is leading the commercialisation of this technology, and managing collaborations with key stakeholders across a range of energy storage applications.

13:30 – 14:30 GMT

How do you track the position of an ROV when it is 1000m underwater? How do you download data from an AUV without docking? How do you monitor remote sensors without running long and complex cables? How do you see through water with zero visibility?

In this presentation, you will gain an introductory understanding of the world of subsea acoustics. The technology is widely used for position measurement, communication of data, control, and monitoring of remote devices, and underwater imaging.

• Benefits and limitations of using acoustics
• Brief theory of underwater acoustics
• Overview of acoustic use cases

Andrew Connelly, Product Line Manager – NASCoM, Imenco UK Ltd

Andrew joined Nautronix division of Imenco as a Graduate Systems Engineer back in 2005, and as of 2013 has the role of Product Line Manager for the Nautronix NASCoM group of products, which is focussed on subsea wireless controls and monitoring for the offshore energy industry.

Andrew achieved chartered engineer (CEng) status in 2016, is currently a member of the committee of the SUT Aberdeen Branch and was elected to the SUT Council in 2018. Since January 2021 he has had responsibility for the SUT’s Underwater Technology podcast – all of the above helping towards an aim of advancing technology and learning in the subsea industry.

 

Click here for the Q&A transcript from this webinar.

Webinar, 1330hrs GMT. 45 minute webinar + 15 minutes for Q&A.

Subsea controls architectures have been traditionally based on large-size project-specific umbilicals integrating hydraulics, data, power, and chemicals.

The submarine telecom industry has an extensive track record of highly reliable, long-reach, standardized solutions for DC powering transport and fiber optic.

An alternative cost-effective subsea control infrastructure solution has been developed leveraging on the submarine telecom industry experience, based on reliable super-structural and standardized DC subsea power and optical fiber communication cable network, so-called DC/FO™ System.

This innovative solution offers advantages inspired from the telecom industry: – The same standard cross section can be used regardless of tie back length or power consumption demand; – Repairs or extensions at sea, with standardized jointing technology, simplifying the tie-back of new prospects and enable phased development; – Open platform, connecting any SPS supplier equipment for electrical power and communication interfaces; Virtually unlimited reach in excess of 300 km; – Large 100 kW power supply capability enabling for new applications such as AUV recharge and All-Electric trees, allowing further downsizing and cost reduction of legacy umbilical cross-section with the removal of hydraulic tubes.

The same DC/FO™ infrastructure can interface ASN Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) to enable fiber sensing applications (in-well monitoring, assets integrity, reservoir monitoring, pipe monitoring, etc.).

The presentation will cover:

• Who is ASN ?
• Submarine internet systems
• DC/FO™ roots
• DC/FO™ features & building blocks
• Enabling new applications
• Projects in development
• Business model
• Marine installation
• Combinations with Distributed Acoustic Sensing

Our speaker Ronan MICHEL has been with Alcatel Submarine Networks since 1989. He started in ASN submarine cable factory in Calais and has installed internet submarine systems worldwide on offshore vessels. He graduated with a Master of Science from Institut Mines-Telecom Nord Europe. From 2006, he started Alcatel Submarine Networks diversification in Oil & Gas.

As a Technical Bid Manager and architect, he sold the largest Oil and Gas subsea fiber networks, with over 3500 km in Australasia, connecting Shell Prelude FLNG and many other platforms, enabling remote operations and remote support from shore, toward “mainly unmanned platforms”.

He initiated the bridging of ASN power and coms technologies to Equinor. He is currently Oil and Gas Product Line Manager, in particular for the DC/FO™ subsea control infrastructure. DC/FO™ is sponsored and contracted by Equinor for their Norwegian flagship J.Castberg offshore development, as well as for Northern Lights world’s first open-source CO2 transport and storage infrastructure.

This event is free to attend; spaces are limited so please register in advance to guarantee a place.

Early Careers Offshore Site Investigation Geoscience and Geotechnics (ECOSIGG) Group

Poster Competition

25th May Event, presentation, and award announcement

Hybrid Event (remote and in-person event)

Primary Event Location (Presenters, Panel and attendees): Supported by Jordan Geear, ECOSIGG Committee Member (Atkins Global)
Ørsted Power (UK) Ltd, 5 Howick Place, Westminster, London SW1P 1WG

Secondary Event Location (Attendees and video link to Primary Location) supported by Darren Burbury, ECOSIGG Chairman (Scottish Power renewables), and Scott Whyte (ECOSIGG Secretary (Geowynd)
Scottish Power Renewables, 320 St Vincent St, Glasgow G2 5AD

Click to register your place at the LONDON venue

Click to register your place at the GLASGOW venue

Click to register your place via Zoom to join this event remotely

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18:15 Event Start & Introductions to Speakers, plus an explanation of strict timing rules

18:20 Keynote 1: Roi Santos (Orsted): Energy Transition, Site Investigation Challenges, Holistic View from a Developers Perspective

18:35 Competition finalist Speaker 1 – Quoc Anh Tran: Submarine Landslides and Their Impact On Infrastructure

18:45 Competition finalist Speaker 2 – Carlos Molina: Improved Soil Structure Interaction Method for Efficient Monopile

18:55 Competition finalist Speaker 3 – Benjamin Cerfontaine: Physical and Numerical Modelling of Helical Piles for Floating Offshore Renewable Energy Devices

19:05 Competition finalist Speaker 4 – Xiaoyang Cheng: Optimisation of Soil Testing Procedure for Monopile Foundation Design of Offshore Wind Farms

19:15 Competition finalist Speaker 5 – Sebastian Elliott: Characterisation of Rock Mass Behaviour in Geotechnical Analyses

19:25 Q&A for all speakers

19:40 Keynote 2: Dr Andy Galbraith (Geowynd/Ocean Infinity): Energy Transition, Site Investigation Solutions, Holistic View from a Contractors Perspective

19:40 Judging

19:55 Award announcement

20:05 Closing remarks

20:10 Event End – Social at Each Event Location

Judging will be 50% audience voting, from in-person/remote attendees, and 50% the expert judging panel.

Judging Panel

• Dr Felix Schroeder – (Senior Partner, GCG)
• Chris Martin – (Director, Arup)
• David Rushton – (Director, East Point Geo)

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What does the competition involve?

A 10-minute presentation on an offshore geoscience or geotechnical subject of your choice, following by a 5-minute Q&A section from the judges and audience.

The panel of judges will assess both the quality of the presentation and the individual’s knowledge of the subject matter.

The audience will also have a chance to vote for their favourite presentation

What is the prize?

• Winner: £1000 (sponsored by Scottish Power Renewables)
• 1st runner up: £500 (sponsored by Geowynd)
• 2nd runner up: £250 (sponsored by SAND Geophysics)

Who can enter?

The competition is open for geoscientists or geotechnical engineers with maximum age of 35.

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Thank you to our sponsors

Webinar, 1330hrs GMT

Technology Overview: Halo Subsea Battery System

EC-OG has a strong reputation for innovation and clean energy technologies. Specialising in energy management and energy storage, EC-OG provides alternative power delivery systems for offshore applications without reliance on umbilical cables. Founded in 2013, the company aims to enable decarbonisation of offshore operations and to reshape thinking around energy transition and clean energy integration.

EC-OG’s Halo technology offers modular and scalable battery storage, capable of integrating with marine renewable energy systems to create a zero-emission power system at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods of power delivery.

This presentation will give an overview of the Halo technology as well as details about the first commercial delivery of the Halo subsea battery storage system that was recently achieved.

Bodhi Sarkar has been part of EC-OG since the company’s inception in 2013. Bodhi is a Chartered Engineer and member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) with over 15 years of experience in subsea design and project engineering.

Prior to joining EC-OG, Bodhi worked at OneSubsea and GE where he gained invaluable experience and knowledge in bespoke production and intervention equipment. Involved in numerous projects with global clients, Bodhi gained an understanding of regional and client specific needs of the delivery of complex engineering projects.

In his role as Senior Engineer at EC-OG, Bodhi takes the lead in delivering a diverse range of projects around intelligent energy management.

This event is free to attend; spaces are limited so please register in advance to guarantee a place.