Fugro has completed a landmark site investigation for Ørsted at a future offshore wind farm landing site along Victoria’s eastern coastline. The project featured the first onshore deployment of Fugro’s patented Heat Flow Module (HFM) CPT probe, which measures in-situ thermal properties of the soil alongside traditional CPT data. This innovative approach delivers faster, more accurate insights essential for infrastructure planning.
The HFM CPT probe was used as part of a wider ground investigation carried out using Fugro’s patented GroundIQ® solution, accompanied by various geophysical and geotechnical techniques. This integrated approach provided Ørsted with a detailed understanding of subsurface conditions, which enabled better-informed decisions while planning future transmission routes for the future offshore wind development.
Traditional CPT data reveals subsurface soil strength, layering, and composition, which are critical for offshore wind turbine installation. For underground transmission cables, understanding thermal soil properties is equally important, as cables emit heat that affects long-term performance. Fugro’s HFM probe delivers thermal conductivity results within 24 hours from undisturbed soil samples, replacing lab tests that typically take weeks.
Using satellite connectivity, Fugro enabled near real-time collaboration between field teams in Australia and processing centres in the United Kingdom. This allowed Ørsted engineers in Europe to refine drilling plans overnight, reduce repeat measurements, and accelerate data delivery.
Michael Campbell, Senior Site Investigation Project Manager, EPC from Ørsted said 'Fugro’s in situ thermal testing solution is a real differentiator for our project. It has cut months off the acquisition time of critical data that otherwise would require extensive testing in a laboratory. The feedback loops have been a game changer enabling extremely efficient progress and ensuring the highest quality data possible between Fugro remote field teams and our engineers.'
'By leveraging real-time geophysical and geotechnical intelligence, Fugro and Ørsted have collaboratively set a new benchmark for offshore wind farm development in Australia', said Brad Dalton, Site Screening and Consultancy Lead at Fugro.
Source: Fugro
