Maintenance and supervision in offshore wind farms

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MARina Offwind

MARina Offwind is a comprehensive technological platform designed to digitalize and automate maintenance and supervision operations in offshore wind farms. It integrates advanced systems for video surveillance, smart sensing, satellite communications, and unmanned autonomous vehicles — including aerial drones, underwater drones, and small USVs — specifically adapted to the marine environment.

The system is designed both for operational wind farms and for site assessment and planning of new installations, positioning Galicia as a leader in innovation and technological development within the offshore wind sector.

Preliminary Studies Phase: Precision, Sustainability, and Safety

During the preliminary studies phase, MARina Offwind incorporates advanced technologies that ensure precision, sustainability, and safety in the planning of wind farms:

Oceanographic and meteorological data: Integration with floating LIDAR campaigns, instrumented buoys, and surface and water-column sensors, enabling real-time modeling of currents, waves, and winds. This optimizes offshore planning and reduces operational costs.
Environmental monitoring: Acoustic sensors and cameras for cetaceans, migratory birds, and marine wildlife; monitoring of maritime traffic, fishing grounds, and protected species, with automatic alerts triggered by the presence of sensitive fauna.
Biodiversity campaigns: Targeted deployments with multispectral and acoustic data collection for impact and conservation studies.
Preliminary geotechnical inspection: Use of underwater drones and ROVs to survey seabeds, mooring chains, existing structures, perform bathymetric mapping, and analyze sediments.
Positioning and structure calibration: Integration of high-precision GNSS and dynamic reference systems to validate buoys, floating platforms, and offshore energy systems.
Route planning, logistics, and fisheries monitoring: Simulation of access routes, planning of heavy equipment deployments, and verification of fish stocks using historical and real-time data.
Stability and safety monitoring: Continuous tracking of floating structures, anchor lines, and environmental changes to prevent operational and environmental risks.

Operation and Service Phase: Efficiency and Autonomy

During the operation and maintenance phase, MARina Offwind offers:

Deployment of MASS and inspection nodes on key wind turbines.
Autonomous inspection operations — aerial, underwater, and video surveillance — remotely controlled via satellite.
Preventive maintenance and continuous support, including AI updates, data monitoring, and replacement of critical components.
Continuous collection of environmental and operational data, ensuring traceability for permits, environmental regulations, and efficient wind farm management.

Key benefits:

Reduction of operational and logistical costs compared to traditional manned vessel methods.
Enhanced safety for human personnel and increased resilience of the wind farm.
Reliable data for design, operation, maintenance, and decision-making.
Modular scalability and full remote control, even at distances over 30 km offshore.

Integration with Biodiversity: A Wind Farm That Generates Life

Beyond energy generation, MARina Offwind incorporates Biohuts, modular structures installed at sea that function as artificial habitats for marine wildlife, providing shelter, protection, and food for various species.

The wind farm not only produces electricity but actively contributes to fish repopulation and marine species conservation, demonstrating that engineering can be a tool for both building and regenerating ecosystems simultaneously.

For decades, offshore wind farms have been perceived as a threat to ecosystems; this project shows that with conscious design and advanced technologies, they can play a positive role in environmental restoration and protection.

Galicia: Leadership in Circular Economy for Offshore Wind

MARina Offwind positions Galicia as a European benchmark in sustainable offshore wind energy manufacturing and development, combining technological innovation with circular economy principles. The region drives pioneering projects, such as the experimental offshore wind platform in Punta Langosteira, managed by INEGA, which enables the development of green infrastructure and the conduct of marine biodiversity studies.

“MARina Offwind not only transforms the management of offshore wind farms but marks a milestone in innovation, sustainability, and Galician leadership in the offshore energy sector, led by Head Up Services, Mar Technologies 5.0, and the GOE – Galician Offshore Energy Group.”