Ramboll to provide geotechnical services for German offshore wind areas

Germany’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has selected Ramboll to assist with the offshore geotechnical soil investigations for future offshore wind farm areas.

The investigations will take place in five future offshore wind farm areas covering 86 locations in the GermanExclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The offshore exploration work and associated soil mechanical laboratory work will be carried out in three campaigns over the next three years by Fugro and will be geotechnically supervised and controlled by Ramboll and partially by the Bundesanstalt für Wasserbau (BAW).

The first campaign started at the end of May, while Ramboll will start on the ongoing project in mid-June.

Furthermore, the company will define the laboratory program and the specifications for the laboratory tests.

After the completion of the offshore and laboratory works, a geotechnical data report (gDF) will be prepared in conjunction with a previously developed 3D geological model, where all available geophysical and geotechnical investigation data will be compiled.

The geotechnical data described in the gDF report will reflect the integration of all the existing and newly collected geotechnical field investigations in a certain area and will provide a stratigraphic classification of the subsoil units.

The developed stratigraphic sequence will be examined, described, and presented in detail, while all available data will be compiled and statistically evaluated on a soil unit basis, providing a consistent basis for future project developers, Ramboll concluded.