Assessing the feasibility of delivering an offshore windfarm

Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm

The Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm is located south-east of Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, United Kingdom. The turbines generate clean, renewable energy for approximately 125,000 households. Our team was appointed to carry out the onshore cable route feasibility study to determine the most viable option from the beach (landfall) to the grid.

To identify the possibility of delivering and installing a 1,000 megawatt offshore wind farm, we undertook a feasibility study for the cable route. The cable route needed to pass from the beach landing of the offshore cable (via directional drilling) into the Clacton Grid. The project had several engineering constraints, including crossing Holland Brook which required environmental agency consent, and the trenchless crossing of the mainline railway which required Network Rail’s consent. Additionally, sections of the cable route needed to be installed through areas of Holland Haven Marshes, a site of specific scientific interest (SSSI) for which we obtained consent and approvals by working in association with the client’s appointed Land Agent. Our team also undertook ground investigations (trial holes and boreholes) and thermal resistivity testing to determine the suitability of ground conditions and install and commission the 132kV infrastructure.

The project vastly contributes to the domestic UK target of reducing CO2 emissions.