SSE Renewables concludes successful survey campaigns at Arklow Bank
Friday 8 September 2023
SSE Leading renewable energy developer, owner and operator SSE Renewables has announced the successful completion of two offshore survey campaigns for the Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 project.
The surveys took place over an eight-week period during July and August. Irish contractor Ground Investigation Ireland undertook a nearshore borehole campaign and Danish contractor Geo carried out cone penetration and Vibrocore testing.
The surveys were completed on schedule despite somewhat unsettled weather conditions experienced over the last couple of months and were facilitated by the cooperation of other marine users including members of the commercial fisheries industry.
The information collected as part of these surveys enhances the project’s understanding of seabed conditions and will support ongoing design refinement and project development work.
Completion of these surveys marks another successful milestone achieved by SSE Renewables in the delivery of the Arklow project.
"The successful completion of these survey campaigns represents another important milestone in the delivery of the Arklow Bank project and equips our team with the most up to date information as we move through the detailed design process. We acknowledge and appreciate the meaningful engagement that has been ongoing with key local stakeholders throughout the process."
John O'Sullivan
Project Manager, SSE Reneewables
SSE Renewables is currently working towards submission of the final outstanding consent for Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 to An Bord Pleanála in the coming months.
Consent has already been secured for the onshore grid infrastructure and for the operations and maintenance facility in Arklow Harbour’s South Dock.
Work is also progressing well to secure a route to market for the 800MW project. This follows a commitment by SSE Renewables earlier this year following disappointment in the first Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS) auction, that the company would seek to deliver the project without state subsidy at no cost to the taxpayer.