OPRED has issued a communication to all operators that the Northern Lighthouse Board vessel, NLV Pharos, will be conducting the Annual Seaward Inspection of all offshore installations, inclusive of platforms, FPSO’s, FSU’s and mobile units, within the Scottish sector of the North Sea (North of 55o 48’ N) and to the West of the Shetland Isles.
The inspection has been scheduled to commence on or around 8th October 2026 for a duration of two weeks. It should, however, be noted that the vessel may undertake inspections out of this time period to take advantage of good weather.
During the proposed inspections, NLV Pharos does not require, or intend, to enter any of the 500 metre exclusion zones. The inspection is carried out to ensure that all installations continue to meet the requirements for Navigational Marking as per the ‘Standard Marking Schedule for Offshore Structures’, and encompasses navigational lighting, fog signals, identification panels and electronic aids to navigation such as RACONs and AIS. The results then form part of the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses Annual Report to the Department for Transport, and is also submitted to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Source: OPRED.