Fugro has been awarded the geophysical survey contract for the development of the Dutch Doordewind offshore wind farm zone. Key to selecting Fugro is its innovative 2D ultra-ultra-high resolution (UUHR) surveys that provide unprecedented data quality. The Doordewind project, led by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), is part of the Dutch Government’s Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap 2030, which aims to accelerate the development of offshore wind in the Netherlands.
Fieldwork is scheduled to start in April 2024 and will be conducted with Fugro’s geophysical vessel Fugro Pioneer. Onboard are customised digital streamers and processing technology that enable 2D UUHR surveys. Using proprietary software and decimetre accuracy positioning systems, this advanced data acquisition method enables detailed ground modelling and interpretation of near surface geology to inform future geotechnical investigations and the design of offshore wind farms. The data will also be used for planning geotechnical investigations and design of the offshore wind farm and installations.
Giljaam van der Meulen, RVO’s Project Manager for this project, commented: “RVO is challenging the offshore market to come up with innovations to speed up the energy transition in the Netherlands”. In site studies, RVO is constantly looking for innovations and improvements in the process. Fugro is a company that understands this perfectly, so we are happy to work with them in this project.
Sven Plasman, Fugro’s Project Director and Government Relationship Manager stated: “One of Fugro’s key aims is to help governments worldwide with the energy transition. So, we’re extremely proud to be part of this prestigious offshore wind project and supporting the Dutch government in realising its ambitions. The development of our geophysical vessels and innovation aimed at providing better quality data is proving its value. We are happy to apply it in this important project and look forward to working with RVO.”
The Doordewind wind farm zone is located approximately 77 km off the north coast of The Netherlands and will be the first wind farm to connect to the Eemshaven. The total wind farm area is approximately 580 km2 and is planned to contain a total capacity of 4 GW divided over two sites of 2 GW each.