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Offshore surveys begin at North Falls

By: Tom Russell 20/05/2021 RWE

General Vessels Windfarms

Three wind farm survey vessels will be busy in the Southern North Sea for the next three months at the North Falls offshore wind farm. The project's developers have kicked off the first offshore environmental and geophysical surveys on the array site and along potential cable routes.

North Falls is located approximately 20 kilometres from the East Anglia coast on a site covering a total of 150 km2. The surveys, being carried out by marine survey contractor Fugro, will be integral to the project’s environmental impact assessment, with the data collected helping the team to understand the local marine environment.

Together, the 42 metre Fugro Mercator and 12 metre Fugro Seeker will conduct geophysical surveys of the seabed, while the 27 metre Curtis Marshall and will take benthic grab samples and drop-down camera photography of the seabed.

North Falls Project Manager Martin Whyte said that the surveys will enable the project team to assess local environmental conditions and identify and locate protected marine species and habitats, forming a baseline understanding of the area.

Martin Whyte said: “From the environmental data and samples gathered we will be able to identify risks and impacts and develop plans for mitigation, while the survey results will also feed into the early design and engineering of the project’s offshore infrastructure.

“The information will also help to determine what type of further detailed survey works are likely to be required as the project progresses.”

The vessels will operate out of Harwich Port and it is expected the surveys will be completed by the late summer.

North Falls is owned equally by SSE Renewables and RWE Renewables, who have established a 50/50 joint venture company to develop the project. It is being developed on a site more than 20 kilometres off the UK coast in the southern North Sea and covers a total area of 150 km². It is an extension project to the adjacent 504MW Greater Gabbard wind farm which opened in 2013.

For more information on offshore wind farms worldwide, click here.

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Offshore surveys begin at North Falls

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