Geophysical Survey Complete

In May 2023, the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm project completed a campaign of further geophysical surveys, alongside shallow geotechnical investigations, within the proposed development site in the Eastern Irish Sea. These works followed earlier seabed mapping undertaken in October and November 2021, when geophysical surveys first mapped the windfarm area, and subsequent geotechnical data collection in 2022. The May 2023 survey programme specifically aimed to build on this earlier dataset and refine understanding of seabed characteristics across the 480 MW project’s offshore footprint, located roughly 30 km from the Lancashire coast. The project states that the purpose of these May 2023 surveys was to better understand the condition of the seabed as it continues to develop proposals for the offshore windfarm. By pairing additional geophysical data with shallow geotechnical information, the developer is able to improve inputs to project design and environmental assessment, supporting decisions on turbine locations, foundations and associated infrastructure. These completed surveys also form part of a broader sequence of site investigations, which includes deep-sea geotechnical surveys from mid-July to late October 2023 and further geotechnical and geophysical surveys scheduled to run through to August 2024, as well as ongoing onshore ground investigations along the proposed export cable route. Collectively, the May 2023 survey completion marks a notable step in de-risking the seabed understanding for Morecambe Offshore Windfarm, providing higher-resolution data to underpin the project’s ongoing development and future construction planning.