Three wartime mines were found on a Danish offshore wind farm site with a Norfolk's firm pioneering map.
The potentially dangerous objects were found with data from Ordtek, whose charts are used by offshore wind developers to remove unexploded ordnance (UXO) – mainly bombs and mines – from the seabed.
After launching its interactive Mine Map for UK waters last year, the Diss-based company is expanding the online mapping service for Danish waters to help detect UXO munitions ahead of wind farm and dredging projects.
The mobile-friendly maps have already been used on the horns Rev 3 and Keigers Flak wind sites.
Ordtek director Lee Gooderham said Mine Map was an important tool to help developers get an early picture of the potential risks.
'It is great to be able to expand Mine Map into Denmark and further develop this online resource for all to access,' he said.
The biggest of the Horns Rev mines – a German anti-shipping ground mine from the Second World War – was blown up by the Danish Navy in a controlled explosion at sea. Two other smaller mines from the First World War were removed.
The Horns Rev site, now under construction off Denmark's west coast, features 49 187m turbines generating 406.7MW of power – enough to power 425,000 homes.
Ordtek is also helping to survey the route of the cable taking power to shore from the Kriegers Flak site off the east coast near Copenhagen.
An estimated 5,000 to 6,000 mines lie in Danish waters, left over from targeting busy shipping lanes during both world wars.
Ordtek draws its Mine Map data from archives held by a variety of sources, including the German and UK military records. Once risks are identified, divers are used to pinpoint the munitions for disposal.
The UK map data helped find UXO at the Rampion and Race Bank windfarm sites, as well as old cannonballs in the Solent ahead of dredging for naval shipping.
The growing company has recently moved from Eye in Suffolk to larger premises near Diss railway station and is aiming to recruit more staff this year.
See the risk map at www.ordtek.com/mine-map
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