​RWE deployed bubble curtain technology at its Sofia Offshore Wind Farm

​RWE has successfully deployed bubble curtain technology at its Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, located approximately 195 km off the northeast coast of England on Dogger Bank,

RWE has been working with Hydrotechnik Offshore to successfully introduce an innovative underwater noise-abatement technology, known as a bubble curtain, for offshore wind farm construction in the UK. The bubble curtain, already adopted across Europe, reduces the propagation of underwater noise by creating a barrier of rising bubbles around the turbine installation site. By dampening sound waves, this technology mitigates disturbances to marine species, such as harbor porpoises, dolphins, and whales, which rely on ultrasound for orientation.

The system works by placing a perforated hose on the seabed around the turbine installation site, forming a 180 m-wide ring. Compressed air is pumped through the hose, generating a continuous stream of bubbles that rise to the surface. It is this bubble barrier that effectively breaks up and slows down the sound waves, significantly reducing noise levels during piling operations.

The Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, currently under construction on Dogger Bank, 195 km from the nearest point on the UK’s northeast coast, will comprise 100 Siemens Gamesa 14 MW offshore wind turbines. Upon its commissioning in 2026, the Sofia project will have a capacity of 1.4 GW, enough to power the equivalent of 1.2 million typical UK homes.