Fugro to probe seabed for Irish wind project

World-leading Geodata specialist Fugro has won a contract from Oriel Windfarm to carry out a detailed geotechnical site investigation off the coast of County Louth, Ireland.  This is to inform the design and installation of foundations for 25 offshore wind turbines at the Oriel offshore windfarm, to the East of Dundalk Bay.

The Fugro Voyager can recover high-quality, undisturbed soil samples using Fugro’s advanced SEADEVIL® coring system.

The 375MW project, one of Ireland’s first commercial-scale offshore windfarms, is being jointly developed by Parkwind NV and ESB. Since April 2024,

Parkwind has been operating as part of JERA Nex, the renewable energy subsidiary of JERA Inc, one of the largest power generational companies in the world.

ESB is majority owned by the Irish Government and is the largest supplier of renewable electricity in Ireland.

Fugro’s winter geotechnical campaign is already underway following the mobilisation of the Fugro Voyager. Voyager. Located in a technically demanding area of the Irish Sea, the Oriel site requires careful planning, experienced offshore delivery and proven seabed investigation technology to ensure safe and reliable data acquisition.

The Fugro Voyager is equipped with Fugro’s advanced SEADEVIL® coring system, designed to recover high-quality, undisturbed soil samples in complex offshore environments. Working in water depths of up to 33 metres, the investigation includes cone penetration testing, wireline geophysics and laboratory analysis at its Wallingford facility. The resulting Geo-data will support foundation design and help reduce installation risk as the project progresses.

Garrett Connell, Ireland Country Manager at JERA Nex bp said: “Partnering with Fugro on this geotechnical survey campaign represents an important milestone, enabling us to progress our detailed project design and bringing us closer to realising the Oriel project and contributing to Ireland’s offshore wind ambitions.”

Remmelt de Jong, Fugro’s Regional Business Line Director for Marine Site Characterisation in Europe and Africa said: “Early access to high-quality Geo-data is critical for projects of this scale. By understanding the site’s ground profile, Oriel Windfarm can make informed decisions that support the long-term performance of offshore wind assets. We’re proud to bring our expertise to such an important project and help accelerate Ireland’s renewable energy ambitions.”