Mariners are advised that a Geotechnical Site Investigation is due to be conducted off the North Wales coast in August 2022. A Notice to Mariners about this site investigation is summarised below and can be downloaded here.
Geotechnical Site Investigations
A series of seabed samples are due to be taken from within the boundary of the proposed Awel y Môr Offshore Wind Farm by the survey vessel Gargano, starting on 1st August 2022. The survey operations will take between 3-5 weeks, depending on weather and sea conditions.
Several samples will be taken at each of the 5 locations specified below, which are located between 12 and 17km of the North Wales Coast (locations are given in two alternate formats of latitude and longitude, each referring to the same point).
| Borehole | Degrees – Minutes – Seconds | Degrees – Minutes.Decimal |
| 1 | 053° 28′ 8.9868″N
003° 48′ 47.9988″W |
053° 28.14978’N
003° 48.79998’W |
| 2 | 053° 26′ 12.2748″N
003° 47′ 53.4192″W |
053° 26.20458’N
003° 47.89032’W |
| 3 | 053° 28′ 23.7144″N
003° 44′ 28.7988″W |
053° 28.39524’N
003° 44.47998’W |
| 4 | 053° 26′ 21.4782″N
003° 42′ 37.2096″W |
053° 26.35797’N
003° 42.62016’W |
| 5 | 053° 27′ 17.0748″N
003° 50′ 40.8588″W |
053° 27.28458’N
003° 50.68098’W |
These locations are referenced to the WGS84 datum. They are shown in a chart in the Notice to Mariners that can be downloaded here.
Survey vessel details
The survey is due to be carried out by the vessel Gargano starting on or around 1st August 2022 (sea and weather conditions permitting).
Gargano is a drilling vessel with a green hull and white superstructure. It measures 72m long with a beam of 16m. Details for the vessel are provided below, including a link to its present location on the MarineTraffic website:-
- Gargano: drilling vessel | MMSI 235362000 | Call sign VSMW5
Operations will be conducted on a 24 hour basis.
Other vessels are requested to keep their distance, maintaining at least a 500m distance, and to pass at a minimum speed to minimise vessel wash.
Details of the vessel are specified in the Notice to Mariners that can be downloaded here.
About the proposed windfarm
If approved, the Awel y Môr windfarm would be built around six miles off the North Wales coast, to the west of the existing Gwynt y Môr windfarm. Awel y Môr would be connected to the National Grid by an export cable coming ashore between Rhyl and Prestatyn. The proposed windfarm would include up to 50 wind turbines. It could generate enough power for up to half a million homes, and it will be the largest renewable energy investment in Wales in this decade.
Full project details and maps of the windfarm location are available at the project website awelymor.cymru.
Please contact Jim Andrews, Fishery Liaison Officer by e-mail or phone (+44(0)7908-225865) if you have any queries or concerns about this notice.