Offshore surveys are now underway at the Awel y Môr offshore wind farm in Wales after the project was awarded a Contract for Difference (CfD) in the UK’s seventh allocation round (AR7).
RWE said the work represents the first package of contracts awarded since the CfD award, with contractors Geo and TGS carrying out geotechnical and geophysical surveys across the 78-square-kilometre project area and the export cable route.
TGS conducts seafloor photography and geophysical investigations to map the geology of the seafloor in detail and identify any major rocks and other seafloor features that may affect marine structure.
Geo performs cone penetration testing (CPT) and vibration sampling to evaluate seabed conditions. The company will deploy two vessels, including the heavy-duty CPT platform GeoScope II, which will be used in the wind farm cluster area.
The surveys will support further design improvements to the offshore wind farm and the route of the export cable to the landing site between Rhyl and Prestatyn.
“This additional survey data will enable the team to make design improvements and fine-tune our methods for the offshore construction, which is currently scheduled to begin in 2029.” He said Joe PickardSenior Approvals Manager for RWE.
According to the developer, the next step for the project is to reach a final investment decision (FID).
Onshore construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 with work on the onshore substation, followed by construction of the cable track in 2028.
The offshore wind farm, which is expected to have an installed capacity of 775MW, will be built off the coast of North Wales, adjacent to the existing Gwent-y-Moor offshore wind farm, and include up to 50 turbines.
Awel y Môr is one of the seven demonstration projects implemented Granted Seabed lease agreement by the Crown Estate in 2020. UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero grant development consent for offshore wind project in 2023.
In January of this year, RWE has secured CFDs for 6.9 GW of offshore wind projects In the UK Government’s AR7, including the Awel y Môr offshore wind farm.
RWE is developing Awel y Môr with project partners Stadtwerke München (30%) and Siemens Financial Services (10%).
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