Ocean Winds’ 2GW Caledonia Offshore Windfarm in the Moray Firth has awarded a contract for foundation design to Wood Thilsted.
Wood Thilsted will use the extensive ground and metocean data that has been gathered across the 429km² Caledonia site over the past two years to produce modelling for the preferred concept for the foundation designs, the company said.
The project is located to two neighbouring Ocean Winds arrays, the operational Moray East and the under construction Moray West.
The latter is nearing completion after recently achieving first power.
“Caledonia is uniquely positioned to benefit from knowledge and understanding accumulated over the two decades that Ocean Winds has been investing in the Moray Firth,” Caledonia Project Director Mark Baxter said.
“Although we are in deeper waters, some of the soil conditions at Caledonia are very similar to Moray East, where we have used an optimised jacket design,” he said.
“Moray West is constructed with extra-large monopiles – which push the global industry limit on size – providing cost and efficiency benefits in fabrication.”
The design work is due to be completed by the end of the year, and will support Caledonia’s initial engagement with the supply chain on foundation fabrication and installation. Consents for both onshore and offshore are due to be submitted in the autumn, the company said.
Ocean Winds has previously worked with Wood Thilsted on projects in Poland and the United States.