Venterra unveils fleet of hi-tech Lidar buoys for offshore wind market

The company said it has invested £10M (US$13M) in the new buoys, which are the first of their kind to be designed and manufactured in the UK.

Developed by Partrac and built by Osbit, Venterra’s specialist engineering and manufacturing company, the LiDAR buoys are the culmination of a two-year project that brings together expertise from across Venterra’s nine companies. Partrac delivered metocean expertise for some of the world’s largest offshore windfarms such as Dogger Bank and Moray West.

Partrac managing director Sam Athey said, “As a company at the forefront of metocean expertise with extensive project experience, we have always understood what the most advanced LiDAR buoy technology requires. That means designing-in features to minimise health and safety risks, reduce deployment downtime, facilitate easy and safe transport and guarantee real-time project data delivery. By integrating our insights and learnings from our deep experience, we have launched what we believe is the world’s most advanced LiDAR buoy, combining innovation, practicality and market understanding to offer real client value.”

Venterra Group chief executive Ed Daniels said, “For many years, our survey team has been a market leader in the largest offshore wind developments. The launch of our fleet of advanced LiDAR buoys, designed and manufactured by our team in Blyth, is a direct and innovative response to our clients’ needs.”

Venterra said the V-LiDAR fleet “sets new standards in offshore wind resource data, combining the latest in marine electronics, comms and system design, lower HSE risk profile, deployment efficiency, increased operational windows and real-time high frequency analytics.

“With its advanced design and robust engineering, it offers a reliable and efficient solution for offshore wind projects,” said Venterra. “As the first dual LiDAR buoys manufactured in the UK, these units will underpin critical wind resource surveys, improve project viability, and unlock high-value export opportunities with world-leading developers. The Venterra V-LiDAR fleet delivers bankable wind data with reduced uncertainty, supporting financial due diligence and accelerating project consenting.”