Luxcara has entered into a preferred supplier agreement with Ørsted to adopt the company’s newly developed low-noise, jetting-based monopile installation platform known as Osonic. The technology will be used across Luxcara’s offshore wind projects in Germany, supporting quieter and more environmentally responsible foundation installation.
This marks both the first formal supplier agreement for Osonic and a major milestone on the path toward its full-scale commercial rollout.
According to Ørsted, Osonic is a patent-pending jetting solution designed to reduce soil resistance during monopile penetration. By enabling foundations to settle into the seabed with far less noise, the system significantly minimizes disturbances to marine ecosystems and can potentially replace traditional impact pile-driving methods.
Holger Matthiesen, Director of Offshore Wind & Green Hydrogen at Luxcara, said:
“As early as 2022, we began evaluating alternative offshore installation techniques with lower acoustic impact. This new agreement strengthens our collaboration with Ørsted, and we look forward to advancing the next phase of deploying this low-noise installation technology, which has already proven successful in the German North Sea.”
Ørsted reports that implementing Osonic at the Gode Wind 3 offshore wind farm resulted in an impressive 99% reduction in underwater noise compared to commonly used installation techniques. Noise levels reportedly dropped to just slightly above the natural ambient sound levels of the German Bight in the North Sea.
Patrick Harnett, Executive Vice President and Chief Construction Officer at Ørsted, added:
“This agreement brings Osonic from an innovative concept to a commercial solution, highlighting both Ørsted’s history of technological leadership and Osonic’s strong potential. Interest in low-noise installation methods is increasing across Europe, and this milestone lays the foundation for broader industry adoption.”
Under the agreement, Ørsted will license the Osonic platform to Luxcara and also serve as an engineering, procurement, and construction advisor for its implementation.
Luxcara is currently advancing two major offshore wind developments in Germany: the 1.5 GW Waterekke project and the 300 MW Waterkant project. In August, the company secured a capacity reservation agreement with Siemens Gamesa for 97 units of its 15 MW turbine model for the Waterekke site and is considering the same turbine for Waterkant.