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01 // The Challenge: High-Energy Noise Mitigation

In offshore foundation installation, controlling underwater sound emissions is critical to meeting strict regulatory standards and protecting marine ecosystems. For the 13 massive steel monopiles (Ø 9.5–10.0 m) at South Fork Wind, kinetic impact energy reached up to 4,000 kilojoules. The requirement was clear: execute heavy foundation installation while maintaining 100% acoustic compliance.
By deploying the Big Bubble Curtain (BBC) as the primary noise mitigation system—operating in synergy with a near-field system—we established a proven acoustic barrier directly around the piling site

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02 // Agile BBC Optimization
Effective noise mitigation requires more than static equipment; it demands operational adaptability on the water. We monitored acoustic propagation in real time using a 7-station subsea hydrophone array. When live telemetry from the first foundation (OSS) indicated room for performance optimization, our team acted immediately.
We re-engineered the inner and outer hose layout of the Double Big Bubble Curtain directly on-site. This rapid, data-driven adjustment delivered an additional ~5 dB of noise reduction for the remaining 12 turbine foundations, ensuring maximum acoustic margin throughout the campaign

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03 // Verified results & acoustic performance

Data confirms that the integrated BBC deployment achieved full regulatory compliance with a substantial safety buffer:

• Guaranteed Compliance Buffer: While regulatory noise limits were set between 169 and 175 dB SEL, actual measured levels were kept to a radically low 150–168 dB SEL at a 750 m distance.

• 15 dB Total Attenuation: The BBC configuration achieved ~15 dB of acoustic energy reduction compared to unmitigated European reference projects.

• Controlled Acoustic Scaling: Even as hammer impact energy was doubled to maximum capacity, sound pressure increased by only +3.0 to +4.3 dB.​​