Fugro’s fleet expands with geotechnical vessel

Dutch geo-data specialist company Fugro has added a new geotechnical vessel, equipped with advanced deep-water technology, to its fleet.

The vessel, named Fugro Quest, provides increased personnel and operational safety, whilst its energy-efficient design results, on average, in significantly lower fuel consumption than for other geotechnical vessels, the Dutch company said.

Moreover, its ability to take hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) biofuel and remote operations and data processing capabilities is said to support sustainable operations.

Fugro said that this type of vessel is used to determine the exact composition of the soil.

Fugro Quest is equipped with WISON Mk V Ecodrive, SEACALF Mk V Deep Drive as well as dedicated coring systems and onboard soil-testing laboratory facilities, and its capabilities include the acquisition of high-quality geotechnical data from 2,000 metres below sea level.

According to Fugro, the vessel’s remote positioning and fast data-processing capabilities enable clients to access acquired project data in near real-time from the cloud.

“Today’s launch is fully aligned with our path to net zero operations by 2035. Fugro Quest consumes less fuel than other large geotechnical vessels,” said Dennis Koenen, Fugro’s Service Line Director for Geotechnics in Europe and Africa.

“It is hybrid ready, comes with automatic handling of tubulars and geotechnical tools and has the latest IT capabilities onboard to safely carry out operations across the globe. Bookings until July 2023 are already in place, and we’re excited to show how our new vessel can enhance the execution of our projects.”

The vessel will commence operations in December for Vattenfall’s offshore wind farm near Norfolk in the United Kingdom.

The Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone includes the 1.4 GW Norfolk Boreas offshore wind farm, the first phase of the zone where geophysical and geotechnical site surveys are currently underway, and the Norfolk Vanguard offshore wind farm.