Following swiftly from the recent release of Global Maritime’s Finland – Gulf of Bothnia SIR, Global Maritime’s Geosciences department – “GM Geo” - has launched a further geological, geohazard and geotechnical desktop study covering a potential 13GW of floating offshore wind lease areas in the Gulf of Maine, which will be subject to competitive leasing in late 2024. The SIR covers all eight of the prospective leasing areas: OCS-A 0562, OCS-A 0563, OCS-A 0564, OCS-A 0565, OCS-A 0566, OCS-A 0567, OCS-A 0568, and OCS-A 0569. The prospective lease areas are located offshore of Rockland, Maine and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
The SIR is a valuable source of information for developers with existing project boundaries in early development and for those seeking to make an informed decision on potential lease areas in the upcoming Gulf of Maine leasing process.
The SIR investigates seabed conditions across the area of search, identifying principal strata and the suitability/risk implications for the development of offshore wind farms (in particular deployment of anchor foundations and cables) by subdividing the area of search into provinces and units of similar geological and geotechnical conditions to be considered in the development and engineering process.
Qualitative assessments of risk for different anchor technologies are made with respect to floating wind, and outline risk mitigations provided. The study also considers ground conditions and seabed constraints within the potential areas of interest for export cable routing. To provide added value, Global Maritime’s SIR also considers the implications of existing marine traffic, seabed wrecks, infrastructure, environmental designations and other marine uses on the siting and development of offshore wind projects.
Within the detailed SIR are a series of maps presenting spatial information and interpretation of conditions across the continental shelf.
Gareth Ellery, Director of Geosciences, commented, ‘With FSN areas defined and auction imminent, now is a great opportunity to gain insight into seabed conditions affecting the viability and cost of any lease area. Our SIR has been written with deep geological expertise, and unrivalled experience in floating wind. Our SIR is available immediately, as a key piece of information for prospective developers.’
Jordan Geear, Global Business Lead Engineering Geology, commented, ‘The Gulf of Maine has significant potential for rapid floating offshore wind development, and an early understanding of key seabed and subsurface constraints to anchor foundations and cables in this region will assist bidders in evaluating the geo-risks (and geo-opportunities!) associated with each of the FSN areas.
Parties interested in acquiring our Gulf of Maine SIR should contact Gareth Ellery and Jordan Geear: gareth.ellery@globalmaritime.com; jordan.geear@globalmaritime.com.
About Global Maritime
Global Maritime is a marine, offshore and engineering consultancy that specializes in marine warranty, dynamic positioning and engineering services. Known for innovation, practical experience, operational excellence, & safety.
Founded in 1979, Global Maritime’s services span the entire offshore project lifecycle from engineering & design, construction and third party verification through to marine warranty surveying, dynamic positioning, installation, risk management and decommissioning.
