Tideland Signal has supplied seven radar beacons and ten lanterns to ComPower for the Norwegian company’s innovative self-contained offshore lighthouses (SCOL), which were initially designed for Conoco Phillips to mark unpowered structures in the North Sea.
ComPower developed the SCOL project at the request of Conoco Philips which was looking for a way of marking offshore installations when they are being dismantled and are without power. SCOL units employ solar powered Tideland SeaBeacon racons and MLED-300 lanterns with remote operating and monitoring capabilities, in a package designed to withstand the harsh winter conditions of the North Sea. A specially developed lifting set allows for easy replacement of the units by crane or helicopter.
The SeaBeacon 2 System 6 dual-band racon installed on the SCOLs offers exceptional dynamic range, sensitivity, and output, together with extremely economical power consumption, making it highly suitable for remote, solar-powered installations as well as offshore and mains-powered installations. It can respond simultaneously and with a unique level of frequency accuracy to both X and S-band radars, even those with very narrow receiver bandwidths. The design gives operators an exceptionally clear indication of its identity and location and proportional scaling ensures that the racon trace remains clearly visible on radar displays regardless of the range scale selected.
SeaBeacon 2 System 6 features an intelligent power management system that allows ComPower to programme precise quiescent and active periods as required to match performance with power consumption. In addition, it will automatically return to quiescent mode after a four-second active period, if there is no local radar activity. The Tideland racon is available in two versions: GMU for general marine use and certified for use in Zone 1 or Zone 2 hazardous areas.
The MLED-300 is one of a range that combines Tideland’s proven MaxLumina lenses with advanced LED technology to provide an expected lifetime in excess of 50,000 hours. The lanterns are extremely reliable, rugged, provide high opto-electrical efficiency and require little maintenance, even under harsh operating conditions. The lanterns are equipped with Tideland’s MaxiHalo 60 LED EFF flasher with on-board GPS synchronisation, sunswitch and 256 pre-programmed flash characters.
The first seven SCOL units are now in operation. The units are located next to the Ekofisk tank and on the remains of two booster platforms in the British sector of the North Sea.
Located in Bergen, ComPower is a significant supplier of power electronics to offshore installations and civilian and military ships as well as telecommunication installations, hospitals and general industry.