Key Investigations Concluded for Major Offshore Grid Connections
Fugro, a global leader in Geo-data, has announced the completion of comprehensive land and marine site investigations for TenneT Germany's LanWin1 and LanWin2 offshore grid connection projects. These critical surveys, concluded on October 21, 2025, are a vital step in the development of Germany's ambitious offshore wind energy infrastructure, which aims to connect at least 14 offshore connection systems to the onshore electricity grid, ultimately supplying clean energy to up to 35 million European households.
Advanced Techniques Employed Across Land and Sea
The extensive investigation campaign utilized a range of advanced technologies and specialized vessels to gather detailed Geo-data. For the LanWin2 cable route, Fugro conducted onshore and nearshore investigations using its innovative GroundIQ® service. This involved low-impact geophysical surveys, including electrical resistivity profiling and patented 3D ambient noise tomography, a technique that maps subsurface conditions using natural vibrations without intrusive methods. The geotechnical phase included borehole drilling and cone penetration testing (CPT) at 15 sites, with four located in intertidal areas. Fugro's ARAN® 250 jack-up platform was specifically configured for shallow operations, minimizing seabed disturbance.
Offshore, Fugro deployed four specialist survey vessels: the Fugro Frontier, Fugro Pioneer, and Scotia. These vessels performed geophysical, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and electromagnetic crossing surveys for both LanWin1 and LanWin2. Shallow geotechnical investigations were carried out by the Fugro Resolve, utilizing Blue Snake®, Fugro's integrated system for CPT and sampling.
Supporting Europe's Sustainable Energy Future
The Geo-data collected from these investigations will be delivered to TenneT Germany via Virgeo®, Fugro's secure cloud-based data platform. This information is crucial for guiding the design, routing, and installation planning of the subsea cables, ensuring the long-term reliability and environmental integrity of the grid connection infrastructure. Jaco Stemmet, Fugro's Regional Business Line Director for Land, emphasized the significance, stating, 'Our integrated site investigation approach, combining land and marine expertise with environmentally sensitive operations, will help support the successful delivery of LanWin1 and LanWin2 and contribute to Europe's sustainable energy future.'
The LanWin1 project is set to include an offshore converter station in the North Sea and an onshore converter station in the Wesermarsch region, with commissioning planned for 2030. Similarly, LanWin2 will feature an offshore converter station in the North Sea and an onshore converter station in the Heide region, also expected to be commissioned in 2030.
6 Comments
Muchacho
What's the real cost of these 'critical investigations'? Taxpayers will foot the bill.
Coccinella
All this 'low-impact' talk sounds like greenwashing. What about actual marine life disruption?
Africa
Connecting 35 million homes to clean energy is an ambitious and positive target. However, the 2030 commissioning date leaves a lot of room for potential delays and scope creep, which often plague projects of this magnitude.
Coccinella
Another huge infrastructure project. These always have unforeseen local impacts and delays.
Muchacho
Environmentally sensitive operations are key. Glad to see that emphasized here.
dedus mopedus
It's encouraging that Fugro used low-impact methods like 3D ambient noise tomography. However, the cumulative effect of multiple projects like LanWin1 and LanWin2 on marine biodiversity over time needs more explicit consideration.