Dutch surveyor Fugro has been awarded a seven-year framework agreement with Ireland’s state-owned electricity transmission operator EirGrid.

The agreement is for a full suite of geo-data surveys for the “Powering Up Offshore – South Coast” project. The initiative will develop offshore electricity substations and export cable routes to connect future wind farms along Ireland’s south coast to the Irish national grid.

Under the framework, Fugro will provide desktop studies, geophysical, environmental, and geotechnical surveys. Operations are set to begin in July 2025, starting with the geophysical and environmental surveys.

All Geo-data will be delivered through Fugro’s cloud-based geo-data platform VirGeo, offering real-time access to data and project insights.

According to Fugro, the project area is complex, spanning four distinct geographical zones – onshore, intertidal, nearshore, and offshore.

To conduct operations in these areas, Fugro will deploy specialised offshore vessels, including the Fugro Seeker and Kommander Iona, as well as jack-up barges for shallow water activities.

The company is also working closely with Irish-based suppliers to deliver key services, such as metocean data collection and aerial drone surveys, that complement its data insights.

This project directly supports the Irish Government’s climate action plan, which targets expanding Ireland’s renewable energy capacity to 80%, including at least 5GW of offshore wind energy.