Ørsted commissioned globally respected specialists GEO to carry out the work six to 12 nautical miles off the coast of Maughold, the area for lease granted to Ørsted by Isle of Man Government. GEO’s Connector survey vessel and its expert crew have carried out similar tasks for other offshore wind farm developments around the world.
Geotechnical surveys provide essential data for the design and installation of offshore wind turbines and other structures. It involves pushing a small, 4cm, cone into the seabed to measure the resistance and friction of the different soil layers. This helps to determine geotechnical engineering properties. The impact to the seabed is minimal as it only impacts a very small, localised area, with the seabed naturally settling back after testing is completed.
GEO is a world-renowned business that has a wealth of experience in working to the highest international standards and industry best practice, including taking steps to minimise the impacts on marine life and the marine environment when conducting geotechnical surveys. The cost of the survey - funded wholly by Ørsted - was in the region of £2million and this sum adds to the significant capital investment which it has already made into project development.
