Fugro has successfully completed one of the largest seabed investigation campaigns in the history of the offshore wind industry in preparation for DONG Energy's 1.2 gigawatt Hornsea Project One project.

Located 120 kilometres off the UKs Yorkshire coast, the project is scheduled to go into operation by 2020 when it will be able to meet the electricity needs of around 800,000 UK homes.

Søren Egede Johannesen, team lead in DONG Energy's Site Investigation Project Management, said, "This is the biggest geotechnical campaign we have undertaken and among the largest seabed investigation campaigns the offshore wind industry has seen. Fugro used two of the largest and best equipped geotechnical vessels available - MV Greatship Manisha and MV Bucentaur - to undertake the investigation work."

Fugro was awarded the £13 million contract in November 2014 following an extremely competitive tender process. As part of the detailed site investigation its dedicated geotechnical vessels completed close to 2,800 metres of seabed cone penetration testing and more than 5,000 metres of boreholes over a four month period.

"This campaign is a notable example of the various parties working together to successfully deliver a large scale project during challenging winter months," commented Daniel Deen, Fugros Senior Project Manager. "We maintained a high level of performance throughout and fulfilled the objectives. The project was completed with no lost time injuries and minimal equipment downtime, reflecting the diligence of all stakeholders."