Cerulean Winds has moved towards submitting the environmental influence evaluation (EIA) for its 1GW Aspen floating offshore wind farm.
This follows the completion of aerial surveys of the deliberate website within the Central North Sea.
The developer accomplished 72 digital aerial surveys (DAS) for each Aspen and its sister initiatives, Beech and Cedar.
This noticed ecological knowledge collected from throughout round 1,077 sq. miles (2,784 sq km) of ocean.
The work was carried out by HiDef Surveying utilizing fixed-wing plane, going down between April 2023 and March 2025.
HiDef Surveying CEO Nicholas Tompkins mentioned: “Finishing 72 digital aerial surveys throughout these websites marks a big milestone in offshore wind growth.
“This massive-scale knowledge assortment effort helps complete environmental assessments, aiding the consenting course of and making certain sustainable undertaking planning.
“Through the use of ultra-high-resolution digital surveying know-how, we’ve got achieved exact species identification whereas minimising environmental influence – reinforcing our dedication to innovation in offshore monitoring.”
Environmental influence evaluation
Having accomplished the survey stage, Cerulean Winds is now set to submit its EIA for the Aspen undertaking.
As well as, the info gathered in the course of the surveys might be used within the assessments for Beech and Cedar’s consenting section.
The findings can even assist optimise the undertaking’s designs, similar to figuring out turbine placement and infrastructure planning.
Cerulean Winds founding director Dan Jackson: “The completion of this best-in-class work, delivered at scale, is one other milestone within the growth of the UK’s floating offshore wind trade. The HiDef staff have supplied the correct knowledge we have to make our initiatives as sustainable as attainable.
“We’re now trying forward, alongside our consortium of companions, to growing the undertaking and capturing the advantages of a UK-based FLOW trade.”
Aspen, Cedar and Beech, which have over 3GW of capability between them, had been awarded to Cerulean Winds as a part of the Innovation and Focused Oil and Gasoline (INTOG) leasing spherical in March 2023.
These initiatives purpose to supply energy to industrial customers, serving to decarbonise the North Sea, and with further capability going to export.
Cerulean Winds started survey exercise instantly after the leasing awards had been introduced, serving to preserve consenting timelines on monitor.
The developer beforehand accomplished offshore survey work for the cluster of floating initiatives in January this 12 months, overlaying seabed mapping to assist with cable routing and turbine placement.
Aspen is on monitor to succeed in a remaining funding determination in 2026, with first energy between 2028 and 2029, and full operations by 2030.
As soon as constructed, the three Cerulean Winds initiatives may comprise as much as 300 generators.
