Gardline and Geo drill for Wikinger

Wednesday, 15 August, 2012 - 14:30

The British Gardline Group and GEO from Denmark are to carry out the geological investigations for the planned German offshore wind farm Wikinger. The two companies have received a contract for a total of € 18 million from the British Iberdrola subsidiary ScottishPower Renewables. Iberdrola will use the results of the investigations as a basis for deciding which foundations will be used for Wikinger.

Over an area of around 34 km², Gardline and GEO will use special ships to take samples of sedimentary and metamorphic rock. This will involve drilling to depths of 63 m. They will also carry out seismic investigations using sound waves in order to map the structure of the ground.

According to Keith Anderson, CEO of both ScottishPower Renewables and the Global Offshore Division of Iberdrola, "the start of sub-surface drilling is a crucial stage of the project. The geotechnical investigations will provide us with valuable data on the morphology of the seabed, which will directly affect the construction and design of the columns supporting the giant wind turbines".

Wikinger will be constructed 30 km off the island of Rügen and is planned to go into operation in 2016. Iberdrola wants to erect a total of eighty 5 MW turbines there. The investment volume will be around € 1.6 billion.

Katharina Garus

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