Fugro has secured an offshore survey contract for an offshore wind project in the New York Bight, off the US eastern seaboard.
Community Offshore Wind, a joint venture between RWE Renewables and National Grid, has awarded Fugro an offshore survey contract to support site appraisal and concept design activities in the New York Bight.
Survey work will commence this year with the majority being executed in 2023, detailing geophysical and environmental conditions within the 510 sq km lease area.
This “accelerated” project schedule will help Community Offshore Wind reduce the levelised cost of energy and realise the site’s offshore wind potential, which has an estimated capacity of 3GW.
Operating from a local port, Fugro is dedicating two vessels to the project.
Survey teams will use hull-mounted sensors to generate full-coverage surface and subsurface geo-data over the lease area to a nominal depth of 15 metres below the seafloor.
While deeper subsurface geo-data will still be required in targeted areas for foundation engineering, Fugro said its survey approach will enable Community Offshore Wind to commence a geotechnical programme ahead of standard development schedules.
Survey geo-data and consultancy services for the project will be delivered through Fugro’s regional centre of expertise for offshore wind, located in Norfolk, Virginia.
Douglas Perkins, Community Offshore Wind’s President, said: “We know just how important data collection in our lease area is to all local, fishing, maritime, environmental, and tribal stakeholders.
“This collaboration is another step forward in designing a project with the best available science and incorporating feedback from a wide net of stakeholders.”