Fugro’s Geowing. ©Fugro
Fugro completed an unexploded ordnance (UXO) risk mitigation project on the cable route for the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind zone. The route was confirmed clear of UXO risk meaning the final UXO clearance certificate could be handed to TenneT, responsible for the grid connection of the future wind farm.
The 13-month project involved surveying the route for explosive remnants of war (ERW), including munitions dumped at sea after conflict, and investigating potential targets.
The project was delivered in two phases, starting with a complete cable route survey that utilised Fugro’s Geowing remotely operated towed vehicle and other equipment solutions to identify over 3600 potential targets of interest. Following interpretation of these targets by Fugro’s UXO experts, over 700 potential ordnance (pUXO) targets were then investigated by Fugro’s UXO identification vessel, the Atlantis Dweller, before the route was declared free of UXO of the size and weight above the contracted threshold.
The Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) wind farm zone will feature two wind farms (HKZ 1 & 2 and 3 & 4), off the coast of The Hague and Noordwijk. Energy company Vattenfall won the tenders for both wind farms. The future grid connection consists of two 700 MW connections, HKZ Alpha and Beta. The connections are planned to become operational in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Four AC cables will transport the generated energy to the onshore high-voltage substation De Maasvlakte.
