Perspective - Royal Haskoning in the UK

Site assessment
Royal HaskoningDHV is drawing on its coastal and marine experience to support the offshore
wind industry. Early assessment of coastal processes and seabed conditions can assist a potential
development to identify a preferred site or layout, determine design parameters and assess the likely
risk posed by scour, mobile seabed sediments and features such as sandwaves.
Royal HaskoningDHV has a heritage of
over 100 years of working with maritime
industries to provide metocean, geophysical
and geomorphological analysis of the sea
bed to inform the design or assessment
of the environmental impacts of maritime
infrastructure.
Royal HaskoningDHV’s team uses coastal
modelling techniques, supported by desk-based
analysis, and interpretation of metocean and
geophysical surveys to understand the seabed
and the physical processes that drive the system.
By undertaking analysis of historic maps and
charts, it is also possible to understand the
longer term changes at a particular site. These
techniques are also used to ensure that clients
have a comprehensive assessment of Coastal
Process Impacts in their EIA.
The company uses the latest 2D and 3D
modelling software and data analysis techniques
for waves and tides to help developers ‘futureproof’
their design of structures that will be
placed on the seabed; for example by assessing
the loading conditions and how wave forces and
tidal currents may induce processes of seabed
scour which could affect foundations. In some
cases the seabed can alter significantly in a short
space of time, so it is crucial that developers are
aware of the variability to expect in the seabed
where they plan to site an offshore wind farm.
When it comes to foundations, as the waters
where offshore wind farms are sited become
deeper, new solutions need to be found. The
traditional approach of constructing support
structures using monopile foundations
will become less viable and uneconomical.
Alternative, often more complex construction
methods will present more complex risk
management challenges. We are tackling these
issues head-on using our far-ranging technical
expertise.
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Royal HaskoningDHV Perspective UK Wind Energy
Photograph courtesy of Vattenfall Wind Power Ltd
Royal HaskoningDHV Perspective UK Wind Energy
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