Dublin-based engineering outfit Gavin and Doherty Geosolutions (GDG) has won €500,000 from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to explore the seabed characteristics of the Irish Sea and the implications for offshore wind energy off Ireland’s east coast.
Over the next two years the study will analyse the seabed conditions along the east coast by interrogating different geophysical datasets as well as by collecting new geotechnical information in the Irish Sea.
The output of the project will include suitability maps, which take into account the subsurface conditions, geohazards and associated technical constraints.
Approximately €250,000 of the available funding will go toward new geotechnical survey work, gathering additional information about the subsurface characteristics of the marine environment.
GDG managing director Paul Doherty said: “This is an exciting opportunity for GDG as a company to gather new datasets and interrogate existing information to help inform which areas of the Irish Sea are best placed to exploit offshore wind energy.”
As foundations for offshore wind energy can account for 20-30% of the overall capital expenditure, knowledge of the soil and rock stratification can have a “dramatic impact” on the overall project spend and associated cost of energy.
Ireland has targeted 70% of all electricity production from renewable sources by 2030, which will need a significant uptake in offshore wind energy if this is to be achieved.
The research activities underway at GDG will contribute to identifying those areas of seabed that are technically optimum around the coast of Ireland and through the early analysis of geophysical datasets will hopefully accelerate the development of these sites.