Procurement Other

In August 2022, Buchan Offshore Wind Ltd appointed AtkinsRéalis to provide geophysical and geotechnical services for the Buchan Offshore Wind project, a near-1 GW commercial-scale floating offshore wind farm located around 75 km north-east of Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The appointment covers critical early-development technical support for a project that plans up to 70 turbines on BW Ideol’s Damping Pool® floating foundations, with grid connection at Peterhead and a long-term contribution to UK energy security and the Scottish supply chain. Under this services contract, AtkinsRéalis is responsible for supporting the design, management and supervision of the project’s marine geophysical, geotechnical and benthic surveys across the array area and export cable corridor. Following data acquisition, AtkinsRéalis integrates and interprets the survey results to develop an integrated ground model for the project. To deliver this scope, the company mobilised a team of technical specialists working collaboratively with the client, the marine survey contractor and other project stakeholders, including participation in offshore activities in the North Sea. These services directly address Buchan Offshore Wind’s early project challenges, which include determining complex and variable ground conditions, understanding geohazard risks and geo-engineering constraints, and safely executing offshore and nearshore surveys over an extended period. The integrated ground model and survey oversight provided by AtkinsRéalis help inform the project’s consenting process, including Rochdale Envelope assessments, and support the early concept design of anchors required to secure the floating turbines, thereby de-risking later engineering and construction stages.