Salamander, a joint venture between Ørsted, Simply Blue Group, and Subsea 7, developing the Salamander floating wind farm in Scotland, has appointed Fugro to conduct a metocean survey for the proposed 100 MW project, located 35 km off the coast of Peterhead, Scotland.
Scheduled to begin in September, the survey will run for approximately twelve months and gather essential meteorological, oceanographic, and environmental data. These insights will inform the project's design, operations, and maintenance strategy and support the planning application process.
To facilitate the survey, two floating SEAWATCH Wind Lidar Buoys and a Wavescan buoy will be deployed. These technologies will measure wave height, wind and current speed, and other region-specific metrics, enabling a comprehensive assessment of the site's characteristics and seasonal conditions.
The metocean survey forms part of a series of surveys to be conducted by Salamander before starting the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA). The project team aims to submit the necessary consent applications by early 2024.
Huw Bell, Project Director for Salamander said: “As a pioneering floating offshore wind project, there are technical factors which must be key considerations as we begin to develop the Salamander site.
“It’s crucial that we understand the influence of the environmental conditions our turbines will be required to operate under. The metocean survey conducted by Fugro will not only be an asset in terms of deciding our wind farm design, but also any future operations and maintenance schedule.”
Jørn Erik Norangshol, Fugro’s Regional Service Line Director for Metocean, Monitoring and Forecasting for Europe and Africa added: “We are proud to be selected as the metocean survey supplier for the Salamander project. Our advanced solutions will provide insights and data crucial for the successful development of this project, including optimized design, enhanced safety measures, and ultimately contributing to the realisation of a sustainable and efficient offshore wind farm."
The Salamander floating offshore wind farm will generate enough green energy to power up to 100,000 Scottish homes. It will also provide insights and best practices for future commercial-scale developments in Scottish waters, ahead of the larger-scale ScotWind buildout.