Oriel Windfarm Ltd, a joint venture between ESB and JERA Nex BP, has awarded a contract to Fugro for a detailed geotechnical site investigation for the Oriel offshore wind project in Ireland. The work will inform the design and installation of foundations for 25 offshore wind turbines that will make up the 375 MW offshore wind farm.
Fugro has mobilised its vessel Fugro Voyager for a winter geotechnical campaign, which is already underway at the project site off the coast of County Louth. According to the company, the site is located in a technically demanding area of the Irish Sea, requiring careful planning, experienced offshore delivery and proven seabed investigation technology to ensure safe and reliable data acquisition.
Fugro Voyager is equipped with Fugro’s SEADEVIL coring system, designed to recover high-quality, undisturbed soil samples in complex offshore environments, Fugro said in a press release on 9 March.
Working in water depths of up to 33 metres, the site investigation includes cone penetration testing, wireline geophysics and laboratory analysis, which Fugro will carry out at its Wallingford facility.
The Oriel offshore wind farm was granted Maritime Area Consents (MACs) at the end of 2022 after being fast-tracked by the Irish government together with six other Phase One projects.
In May 2023, following Ireland’s first offshore wind auction, the developer confirmed plans to continue working towards the delivery of the project despite not being awarded a contract in the auction.