During the last Ice Age, glaciers scored huge trenches through the land beneath the Irish Sea. Today, those valleys are filled with softer material and sit between tracts of hard rock, creating a diverse landscape that wind farm developer Codling Wind Park has had to research in painstaking detail before it can begin installing its turbine foundations into the seabed.

This challenge is explained by Ed Sly from Codling Wind Park, and Matthew Chappell, Melanie Zacheis, and Ross Frazer from Geo-data experts Fugro. They explain the innovative technologies deployed to combat the hazardous offshore conditions, while making the process as quick and efficient as possible when designing what is set to be Ireland’s biggest offshore wind farm, projected to produce 1,300 megawatts of power for homes in Dublin and beyond.

With the wind power industry booming, the necessary ground investigation and construction equipment is in short supply, and financial stakes are high. Safety is always a priority when working offshore as well. Fugro made modifications to the jack-up platform from which it conducted its testing for the Codling project, cutting downtime, reducing overall time at sea, and enabling more tests to be run, giving a more accurate picture of the seabed.

Guests

Matthew Chappell, regional service line director nearshore, Fugro

Ross Frazer, principal analysis engineer, Fugro

Ed Sly, engineering manager, Codling Wind Park

Melanie Zacheis, principal engineer – geotechnical team leader, Fugro

Partner

Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from Geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.

The post #304 Grounded in Knowledge – Ireland’s Biggest Offshore Wind Farm first appeared on Engineering Matters.