Inch Cape Offshore Limited (ICOL) has taken a step forward in its efforts to bring an offshore wind farm to the East of Scotland after embarking on a three-month site investigation utilising local ports.
The geophysical and geotechnical surveys will be undertaken by up to four vessels on the 150km2 proposed site, 15km off the Angus coast, over 110 days (excluding weather downtime) between end July and October.
Surveys will also be carried out along the Export Cable Corridor located within the Outer Firth of Tay and Firth of Forth, with works taking place off the North Berwick and Gullane coast in East Lothian.
Ian Johnson , ICOL project manager, said: “The offshore site investigation is a key step forward for the ICOL project. It will help us further understand the local conditions and inform the design of the wind farm as it progresses.”
Vessels will operate 24/7 to drill boreholes on the development site and to allow soil sampling, refuelling out of local ports including Dundee and Montrose. Local maritime and fishing communities across Angus, Fife and East Lothian have been and will continue to be consulted throughout the investigation period to help minimise any significant impacts on the industry.
Johnson added: “We expect the investigation to create minimal impact on the local fishing community, and are grateful for everyone’s cooperation. This time and investment now will put us in good stead to progress quickly with construction as soon as the necessary permissions are in place, and mitigate the risk of any potential delays during the next phase of the development.”
Surveys should only take place on certain zones for a matter of weeks with exclusion zones changing throughout the investigation period, allowing fishing practices to continue in collaboration with the project.