Geotech Survey Start

From mid-July 2023, the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm project initiated a campaign of deep-sea geotechnical surveys within the defined project area. These investigations were carried out at different locations across the offshore site using the specialist survey vessel Horizon Geodiscovery. The work follows earlier phases of seabed characterisation noted on the project website, including geophysical mapping completed in late 2021, geotechnical data collection during 2022, and further geophysical and shallow geotechnical surveys undertaken in May 2023 to refine understanding of seabed conditions as project design progressed. The deep-sea geotechnical surveys represented an escalation in the detail and depth of subsurface information being gathered for the Morecambe development. By deploying Horizon Geodiscovery to sample and test conditions at multiple offshore locations, the project team aimed to obtain data necessary to support detailed engineering design and to confirm the suitability of seabed areas for fixed-bottom turbine foundations and associated infrastructure. This phase of works, running from mid-July through to late October 2023, forms a critical input to ongoing technical and environmental assessments described elsewhere on the project website, and helps de-risk later construction and consenting steps by improving certainty around ground conditions across the windfarm site.