RWE and National Grid award Fugro offshore survey contract for work in New York Bight

Community Offshore Wind, a joint venture between RWE Renewables and National Grid, has awarded Fugro an offshore survey contract to support site appraisal and concept design activities in the New York Bight.

Survey work detailing geophysical and environmental conditions within the 510 sq. km lease area will commence this year, with the majority being executed in 2023. This accelerated project schedule will help Community Offshore Wind reduce the levelised cost of energy and realise the site’s 3 GW offshore wind potential.

Operating from a local port, Fugro is dedicating two vessels to the project. Survey teams will utilise hull-mounted sensors to generate full-coverage surface and subsurface geodata over the lease area to a nominal depth of 15 metres below the seafloor. While deeper subsurface geodata will still be required in targeted areas for foundation engineering, Fugro’s survey approach will enable Community Offshore Wind to commence a geotechnical programme ahead of standard development schedules. Survey geodata and consultancy services for the project will be delivered through Fugro’s regional centre of expertise for offshore wind, located in Norfolk, Virginia.

“We know just how important data collection in our lease area is to all local, fishing, maritime, environmental and tribal stakeholders,” said Douglas Perkins, president of Community Offshore Wind, in a statement. “Fugro brings experience and an innovative approach to the US market to collect data critical to the optimisation of site layout and programme flexibility while minimising impacts to the natural environment. This collaboration is another step forward in designing a project with the best available science and incorporating feedback from a wide net of stakeholders.”