Irish engineering consultancy Gavin and Doherty Geosolutions is to investigate the impact of sediment dynamic processes in the Irish Sea on planned offshore wind farm developments.
The €200,000 project will be coordinated by GDG with technical support from Jimmy Murphy in the MAREI research centre.
The aim of the project is to provide insights into the geomorphology along the east coast of Ireland that will help with offshore wind development and marine spatial planning.
GDG said it will conduct a morphodynamic study of designated areas in the Irish Sea, including predictive sediment transport modelling to characterise future seabed changes and to quantify the risk for future offshore wind farms.
It added that the outcomes of the project will support developers in the efficient design, installation and maintenance planning of offshore renewable assets, including foundations, array and export cables.
The 25MW Arklow Bank wind farm (pictured) is so far Ireland’s only offshore project.