Orsted has signed a preferred supplier agreement with German asset manager Luxcara, taking its Osonic monopile installation technology into commercial deployment for the first time, the Danish offshore wind developer said on Thursday.
The company described the deal as the first commercial agreement for its jetting-based foundation installation method, which it says can significantly reduce underwater noise while lowering project costs. Orsted said Osonic achieves noise levels “just above the background noise in the German Bight” and is intended for use across Luxcara’s German offshore wind foundation portfolio.
The low-noise technology has been developed over several years and was first deployed earlier this year at Orsted’s Gode Wind 3 offshore wind farm. The company said it is now establishing Osonic as a dedicated platform, offering licences and related services to third-party developers for European projects.
Patrick Harnett, Orsted’s executive vice president and chief construction officer, said: “By reaching an agreement with Luxcara, we’re taking Osonic from concept to commercial offering, which demonstrates Orsted’s strong track record of innovation as well as Osonic’s potential. We’re seeing increased interest from offshore wind developers across European key markets, and with this landmark agreement, we’re laying the groundwork for broader adoption.”
He added: “As a leading developer of offshore wind, we’re proud to extend our technology services to third parties. This supports the further build-out of offshore wind, beyond our own 8.1 GW offshore wind construction portfolio, and further enables the deployment of offshore wind as an affordable, reliable, and secure resource.”
Holger Matthiesen, Luxcara’s director of offshore wind and green hydrogen, said the company has long prioritised low-noise installation methods. “We are pleased to now deepen the collaboration with Orsted and look forward to preparing the next steps for the implementation of their low-noise installation technology, which has already been successfully deployed in the German North Sea,” he said, noting its “proven performance under conditions comparable to our projects.”
Under the agreement, Orsted will license the patent-pending Osonic system and act as engineering, procurement and construction consultant to Luxcara. The jetting approach reduces soil resistance, allowing foundations to sink into the seabed without traditional pile-driving. Orsted says the method cut underwater noise at Gode Wind 3 by 99% compared with conventional techniques, lowering levels to just above ambient conditions in the German Bight.
Osonic received the German Sustainability Award in October, with judges stating the innovation “shows how the expansion of renewable energy and the protection of biodiversity can go hand in hand, setting new benchmarks as a potential standard for sustainable offshore wind projects worldwide.”
