Houston-based marine robotics company Ocean Infinity has been awarded a survey contract by Equinor Wind US for one of the first-ever floating offshore wind farms on the U.S. West Coast.

Under the deal, Ocean Infinity will carry out a comprehensive site investigation survey using multiple AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles) starting in February 2024.

Last year, Equinor secured a 2-GW lease in the Morro Bay area that has the potential to generate enough energy to power 750,000 homes in California.

About two-thirds of America’s offshore wind energy potential is in deep waters. The narrow outer continental shelf running along the Pacific seaboard drops down swiftly to 1,000 m or more, opening up new power opportunities for floaters.

“The U.S. West Coast, with its challenging deep water topography, presents another excellent opportunity for Ocean Infinity to deliver the value of its multi-AUV capabilities for its clients. AUVs in scale are the perfect tool for this region, providing not only great data quality advantages over towed arrays in the water depths spanning from 974 to 1317 m but also huge efficiency over wide areas,” said Shawntel Johnson, business development director at Ocean Infinity.