Mariners are advised of an update to the schedule for the Geotechnical Site Investigation of the proposed Awel y Môr Offshore Wind Farm off the North Wales coast. This survey started in November 2023 and is now due to be completed in mid-May 2024. A Notice to Mariners about this site investigation is summarised below and can be downloaded here.
Offshore Site Investigations: November 2023 and into 2024
The jack-up barge Seafox 7 started geotechnical site investigations on the 16th November 2023. This work was due to be completed in March 2024. The survey has been hindered by poor weather, and is now due to be completed in mid-May 2024.
During the survey, Seafox 7 will drill 60 boreholes at discrete locations in the project site. The vessel will operate for 24 hours per day during the survey.
The survey area is illustrated in the Notice to Mariners that can be downloaded here and bounded by the coordinates below:-
- NE Marker: 53° 29.460’N 003° 35.220’W
- SE Marker: 53° 29.532’N 003° 44.760’W
- SW Marker: 53° 26.700’N 003° 51.600’W
- NW Marker: 53° 29.280’N 003° 51.600’W
Seafox 7 will be supported by the vessels Elisa and Fairplay 32 in its daily operations, and these vessels will tow the barge between sampling locations. The tugs will standby at anchor on the project site, and will also be transiting between the site and nearby ports. The vessel MCS Boreas will be assisting the Seafox 7 with crew transfer operations to shore on a twice-weekly basis.
Vessel details
Seafox 7 is a jack-up barge with a red hull and white superstructure. It measures 55.5m long with a beam of 32.2m. Details for this barge and its support vessels are provided below, including a link to its present location on the MarineTraffic website:-
- Seafox 7: drilling vessel | MMSI 235065812 | Call sign 2BGC6
- Elisa: Support vessel / tug | MMSI 236745000 | Call sign PBZP
- Fairplay 32: Support vessel / tug | MMSI 210447000 | Call sign 5BAM6
- MCS Boreas: Crew Transfer Vessel | MMSI 235096501 | Call sign 2GDR8
Operations will be conducted on a 24 hour basis. A continuous listening watch will be conducted on VHF Channel 16.
Other vessels are requested to keep their distance, maintaining at least a 500m distance. Full details of all of the vessels can be found in the Notice to Mariners that can be downloaded here.
About the proposed windfarm
The Awel y Môr Offshore Wind Farm 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.