Fugro Scout geotechnical drill vessel has completed offshore site investigations for the Triton Knoll offshore wind farm as a part of preparation for the installation of monopile foundations in 2019.
The vessel, operated out of ABP’s Port of Immingham on the Humber, carried out a three week programme of test drilling at the locations of the 90 turbine foundations and two offshore substations, over 20 miles offshore.
Investigative work at the east coast site of the 860MW innogy-owned offshore wind farm will provide detailed information on seafloor and sub-seafloor conditions, supporting the design of the wind farm’s monopile foundations.
The design work is being delivered by a UK-based engineering company Atkins, on behalf of lead foundations contractor Smulders Sif Steel Foundations BV.
The geotechnical vessel conducted borehole drilling of up to 40 meters deep. Each borehole is sampled and tested with Cone Penetration Tests (CPT) and seismic CPT, and will involve the use of wireline logging tools to further enhance the understanding of the sub-seafloor soil types, Triton explained.
Triton Knoll will be capable of supplying the equivalent of over 800,000 UK households per year with renewable electricity.
It is now progressing towards a financial investment decision later this summer, with full onshore construction starting shortly after, and offshore construction starting in late 2019.