Fugro to survey Irish seabed for future offshore wind farms

Fugro has secured a seven-year framework agreement with Irish transmission system operator (TSO) EirGrid to perform surveys for a project that will develop offshore electricity substations and export cable routes to connect Ireland's future offshore wind farms on the south coast to the national grid.

Source: Fugro

For the Powering Up Offshore – South Coast project, Fugro will deliver a full suite of geo-data surveys, including desktop studies, geophysical, environmental, and geotechnical surveys. The insights are said to be key for selecting optimal routes and engineering designs, reducing project risks and promoting environmentally responsible development.

The fully integrated ground model will give EirGrid a detailed understanding of subsurface conditions for installing transmission infrastructure and protecting Ireland’s marine ecosystem, Fugro noted.

Operations are set to begin this month, starting with geophysical and environmental surveys, with all data to be delivered through Fugro's cloud-based geo-data platform VirGeo.

"We're proud to support EirGrid in delivering critical infrastructure for Ireland's offshore energy future," said John ten Hoope, Fugro's Regional Business Line Director for Marine Site Characterisation Europe and Africa. "By providing end-to-end Geo-data solutions delivered efficiently through our advanced technologies and local collaborations, we are setting the foundation for safe, sustainable, and accelerated offshore wind development along the south coast."

Fugro notes that the project area is complex, spanning four distinct geographical zones: onshore, intertidal, nearshore, and offshore. Fugro Seeker and Kommander Iona will be deployed for the work, as well as jack-up barges for shallow water activities.

According to the Dutch company, Irish suppliers have been hired to deliver key services, such as metocean data collection and aerial drone surveys.

The project supports the Irish Government's climate action plan which targets expanding Ireland's renewable energy capacity to 80%, including at least 5 GW of offshore wind energy.

-----The news is quoted from Offshore Energy by Nadja Skopljak (www.offshore-energy.biz)

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