With project preparations underway and a target start date in April, contract finalisation is expected soon. The geotechnical programme will continue until September and comprises a seabed investigation and borehole drilling. Fugro will also deliver standard and advanced laboratory testing and an integrated geological/geotechnical soil model which will be used by future developers of the wind farm to prepare their bids.

The fieldwork will utilise Fugro vessels including the state-of-the-art geotechnical drilling vessel, Fugro Scout. Deployment of Fugro's innovative SEACALF MkIV system for seabed cone penetration testing will enhance operational safety as its coiled rod requires no manual handling. The system is also much less weather sensitive than conventional systems, increasing productivity by avoiding downtime.

"For these large offshore projects, the availability of efficient systems and having access to the right resources is crucial; being able to mobilise three dedicated geotechnical vessels for this project has been a major part of the success of this tender," said Sven Plasman, project director at Fugro. "Our SEACALF MkIV system enables us to acquire high-quality data in a safe manner and deliver on time to RVO.nl. It is now the geotechnical system of choice in off-shore wind farm developments worldwide, from the United States to Taiwan."

Ruud de Bruijne, RVO.nl's project manager, said, "It's very important that the Netherlands Enterprise Agency prepares the best possible package of site studies for future developers of this offshore wind farm. We are confident that Fugro can enable us to do this, delivering high-quality geodata for the off-shore wind energy permit tender."