DenAr Ocean Engineering Services has been awarded a contract by Türkiye’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MENR) to carry out geophysical and geotechnical ground investigations for the country’s first offshore wind site investigation programme.
The work covers two areas in the Sea of Marmara designated under the NCS-01 project. The survey scope includes multibeam echosounder (MBES), side-scan sonar, sub-bottom profiler and magnetometer surveys, as well as unexploded ordnance (UXO) investigations and ultra-high-resolution seismic surveys.
Geotechnical work will involve seabed cone penetration testing (CPT) and sampling from DenAr’s DP2 vessel Denar Explorer, followed by laboratory testing and reporting. The company said the overall field programme will involve three vessels and operations during the winter season.
As part of preparations, DenAr held a hazard and operability (HAZOP) meeting aboard Denar Explorer with representatives from MENR, its consultant IMDC and the company’s offshore team. The meeting reviewed the planned survey and geotechnical activities, vessel operations and the requirements for working in the busy waters of the Sea of Marmara.
The award comes as Türkiye advances preparations for its first offshore wind tender.
In 2023, MENR launched a tender for site investigation and consultancy services covering three potential development zones in the Sea of Marmara, as part of work on site preparation and the design of the country’s first offshore wind auction.
The government published draft rules for a 1 GW offshore wind tender in June 2026 and said in August that it planned to hold the first auction in the first quarter of 2027.
Türkiye has set a target of installing 5 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035.