Ocean Winds, the developer of the 2GW Caledonia offshore wind project in the Moray Firth has selected engineering consultancy Wood Thilsted to develop the concept design for the project’s turbine foundations. Wood Thilsted will use the ground and metocean data gathered across the 429 sq km Caledonia site to produce modelling for the preferred concept for the foundation designs. This is not the first time the two companies will be working together as they have previously collaborated on projects in Poland and the US. The engineering team will also benefit from Ocean Winds’ experience on two neighbouring projects – the operational Moray East and under construction Moray West, the latter of which is nearing completion having recently achieved first power. The design work on Caledonia, which is one of the few ScotWind projects scheduled to be operational by 2030, is due to be completed by the end of the year. Onshore and offshore consents for the project are due to be submitted in the autumn. “Caledonia is uniquely positioned to benefit from knowledge and understanding accumulated over the two decades that Ocean Winds has been investing in the Moray Firth,” said Mark Baxter, Caledonia project director. Although the project is in deeper waters, some of the soil conditions at Caledonia are very similar to Moray East, where Ocean Winds utilized a jacket design. Moray West is constructed with extra-large monopiles which, according to the company, provide cost and efficiency benefits during fabrication. “We have in-depth experience in the design, marshalling, and installation of both jackets and monopiles in the Moray Firth. The modelling during this phase will enable us to examine various solutions and determine the best design option for the site and the environmental conditions,” added Baxter. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); }); TagsOffshore Wind United Kingdom