ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall, the developers of the East Anglia offshore windfarm zone, have awarded local company, Gardline Hydro from Great Yarmouth, a multi million pound contract to conduct seabed surveys on the first section of the site.

Gardline Hydro will complete extensive geo-physical surveys of one section of the development site and correlate crucial data that will assist in the first part of the project. 

Two vessels from their offshore fleet, the Confidante and Tridens 1, will be employed with the work expected to take around three and half months to complete, subject to weather conditions.

These surveys will provide ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall with detailed information about the seabed and will be used throughout the planning and construction of the project.

The 7.2GW development will be built in several sections with the proposed first project consisting of approximately 240 turbines. 
It is proposed that the first project will be located 42 kilometres offshore and will have the capacity to generate up to 1.2GW of clean, green energy.

David Walker, Development Director said: “ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall are delighted to appoint Gardline Hydro and are eager to work with local companies throughout this development.

“The response we have received locally has been very positive and we continue to learn more about the great facilities and workforce that East Anglia has to offer.”
John Morse, Business Development Manager for the GMSL Group said: “This is excellent news; we are particularly excited about winning this contract.

“GMSL has its global headquarters in Great Yarmouth and as the site is right on our company’s door step, we will be using our home port harbour facilities for supporting our vessels and while the work is carried out.”

Media Information – Simon McMillan 0141 566 4875 / 07753 622 257

Notes to Editors:

*Source: New Energy Finance

• ScottishPower Renewables is part of Iberdrola Renovables, the largest wind energy company in the world with an installed capacity of close to 11,000 MW at the end of 2009, and a pipeline of over 57,400 MW. ScottishPower Renewables had over 800 MW of installed capacity at the end of 2009, and a pipeline of 5,115 MW.


• Iberdrola Renovables has a presence in 23 countries around the world.


• ScottishPower Renewables is currently developing offshore energy projects in the UK totalling more than 1,700 MW, including co-development of the 500MW West of Duddon Sands offshore wind project.


• The company is already the largest developer and generator of on-shore wind energy in the UK, with Europe’s largest wind farm at Whitelee which was completed in May 2009.


• www.scottishpowerrenewables.com


• Vattenfall is a leading European energy company. It is Europe’s fifth largest generator of electricity and largest producer of heat. It currently operates nearly 400MW of offshore wind capacity around Europe, including the 90MW Kentish Flats, off Whitstable in Kent. It also has 2,700MW of offshore wind capacity in the pipeline and includes under construction more than 400MW of offshore wind capacity around Europe including the 300MW Thanet Wind Farm, also off Kent and operational in 2010, and the 150MW Ormonde Wind Farm, off Barrow-in-Furness.
  www.vattenfall.co.uk / www.vattenfall.com


• East Anglia Offshore Wind Ltd is the joint-venture company, owned 50-50 between ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall AB, set up to bid for licenses in Round 3 and develop projects if successful. www.eastangliawind.co.uk

Gardline Marine Sciences Ltd

• Gardline Marine Sciences Ltd (GMSL) offers a strong portfolio of marine services (survey capability extends across the full range of environments from river to deep ocean) and remains the largest independently owned survey company in the world. GMSL comprises the following companies: 


• Gardline Environmental, a member of Gardline Marine Sciences Ltd., is a leading provider of environmental, oceanographic and near shore coastal surveys.


• Gardline Geosurvey Limited – Principal member of the Group, conducting offshore geophysical integrated surveys


• Gardline Hydro – a division of Gardline Geosurvey specialising in hydrographic surveys and seabed mapping


• Gardline Environmental Limited –metocean studies, marine mammal observation and environmental surveys


• Gardline Geosciences – geotechnical site investigation including in situ testing


• Titan Environmental Surveys – near shore and coastal surveys, hydrometric studies


• IMAR Survey Limited: Irish based hydrographic and marine geophysical firm