Fugro Nets Survey Work at Netherlands’ Largest Offshore Wind Farm Zone

Dutch offshore survey services firm Fugro has won three geotechnical investigation contracts for IJmuiden Ver, the largest offshore wind farm (OWF) zone to be developed in the Dutch part of the North Sea. 

IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Zone (IJVWFZ) is located 33.4 nautical miles (62 km) off the west coast of the Netherlands. There will be 4 wind farm sites designated within the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Zone: IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Site I, II, III, and IV. The Dutch Government will issue 2 tenders for the permits to develop the sites.

The geotechnical investigations for IJmuiden Ver are the most extensive the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) has organised to date and the resulting OWF zone will generate a total of 4 GW of renewable energy. 

Fugro will carry out include seabed investigation, an extensive laboratory testing programme, and development of an integrated ground model. 

"State-of-the-art techniques, such as the generation of synthetic CPTs, will be applied to create the geological ground model and the results will be used for future developers’ tender submissions for the 429 km2 OWF zone," Fugro said.

The fieldwork, which comprises seabed cone penetration tests (CPTs), thermal conductivity tests, vibrocores and boreholes, will run from February to August 2021 and will be performed from Fugro’s DP2 geotechnical vessels.

Peter-Paul Lebbink, RVO’s project manager, said: “We are looking forward to working with Fugro to execute our largest geotechnical offshore campaign for RVO. 

"All available soil measurement results will be integrated by Fugro into an advanced integrated 3D ground model adhering to the industry’s highest possible standards. This 3D ground model will form a solid basis for detailed engineering and will therefore derisk the construction of the future IJmuiden Ver wind farms.”

In the first tender, scheduled for 2023, offshore wind farm developers will be able to apply for a permit to develop IJVWFS I and II. The application period to develop IJWFS III and IV is scheduled to open in 2025.