Caledonia Offshore Wind Farm Begins Geotechnical Surveys
Ocean News
Caledonia’s water depths are 40 to 100 m. Three-quarters of the site is at depths that allow for fixed (rather than floating) foundations. Credit: Caledonia Offshore Windfarm
Sediment from deep bore hole samples from across the Moray Firth site will provide crucial geotechnical data to allow further planning of the Caledonia Offshore Windfarm project’s engineering design and installation phases.
Following the success of the recent geophysical survey campaign, the geotechnical survey will see the use of Gardline’s Horizon Geobay vessel. This will support soil analysis across the 429km2 site - specifically core penetration tests and borehole sampling.
Sarah Graham, Caledonia Offshore Wind Farm Head of Engineering said: “Ocean Winds has built a robust data catalogue of the Moray Firth throughout its decade-long presence in the area. Our goal now is to build a clear picture of the ground conditions across the Caledonia site area to inform the engineering design of the project. Collecting this data is an essential part in determining the wind turbine foundations, ensuring we select structures suitable for the site."
The offshore campaign will run until the end of 2023 (weather dependent).
Caledonia is a 2GW project developed by Ocean Winds in the Moray Firth, and one of the few ScotWind sites scheduled to be operational by 2030. It is adjacent to Ocean Wind's operational Moray East development and its under-construction Moray West project, which is due to be up and running early in 2025.
Image credit: Caledonia Offshore Windfarm
About Caledonia Offshore Windfarm
Operational in 2030, the 2GW Caledonia development will mark two decades of continuous investment by Ocean Winds in the Moray Firth, providing opportunities for local growth.
With expected capacity of 2GW, Caledonia is expected to double the capacity of the Moray Firth and will be capable of supplying around two million homes with green, low-cost electricity.
The site was award to Ocean Winds under the Scottish Government’s ScotWind process and will join Moray East and Moray West as the company’s third offshore wind farm in the UK.
Additional information:
- Site area: 429km2
- Water depths: 40 – 100m
- Expected capacity: 2GW
- Expected to commence generation: 2030
