PDE Offshore advances with Sonardyne system upgrade
PDE Offshore Corporation, a leading Taiwanese company specializing in offshore geophysical and geotechnical investigations, recently upgraded its underwater acoustic positioning system on its MV Geo Energy to Sonardyne’s advanced Ranger 2 USBL system. This strategic enhancement aims to bolster PDE Offshore’s capabilities in the exploration of offshore renewable energy (ORE) initiatives in Taiwan.
Meanwhile, the company’s upcoming geotechnical vessel, Geo Power, is currently undergoing conversion and will be equipped with the advanced Ranger 2 USBL system. Expected to be operational by mid-2024, Geo Power will play a pivotal role in the fleet, offering comprehensive seabed and downhole cone penetration testing services to further solidify PDE Offshore’s expertise in the offshore exploration sector.
PDE Offshore has been conducting geotechnical and soil investigation in the shallow waters of the Taiwanese Strait since 2017 as the country looks to replace its coal-based energy with cleaner, sustainable alternatives such as offshore wind farms.
Greater depths and challenging conditions
Working with most of the world’s leading ORE developers, PDE Offshore wanted to increase its capability. This required a trusted and proven USBL positioning system for its vessel to work in greater water depths and more challenging water conditions as its operations expanded.
Having already successfully used Sonardyne’s Mini Ranger 2 for several years, investing in the full Ranger 2 system was a logical choice to provide the reliable dynamic positioning references essential for its operations while also enabling operation in greater depths and more challenging conditions.
Incorporating over 30 years of USBL knowledge, Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 system is anything but standard. It can be used to track anything, at any depth, from any vessel. It can track a subsea asset, position or communicate with an underwater vehicle or dynamically position a vessel – or do all of this simultaneously. It can be used for both survey and construction phases of ORE and supports complex tracking scenarios such as structures and vehicles with multiple transponders and remote offsets.
Huang Hsin-chih, president of PDE Offshore, said: “We have been working with Sonardyne since 2017 using its Mini Ranger 2 system. The system is proven and reliable and our engineers are familiar with its operation. It was a simple and logical choice to go ahead and upgrade to the Ranger 2 system to improve our capability to take on greater projects in the region.”
Dan Tan, regional sales manager for Sonardyne in Singapore, stated: “Taiwan’s ambitions of becoming a green island mean it is fast becoming a leading player in offshore wind in Asia Pacific. We’re pleased to be a part of this energy transition through PDE Offshore’s continued confidence and investment in our products. We look forward to supporting PDE Offshore in its future operations.”
