Vattenfall and Metsähallitus have awarded GEOxyz and Arctia the geophysical research for the engineering of the Korsnäs offshore wind farm development, located in the Bothnian Gulf. This project is part of the first leasing round for offshore wind developments in Finland and essential in advancing Finland's climate goals and enhancing the country's energy independence in the next decade.

The research involves mapping a 280 km² offshore wind farm area and two alternative corridors for the export cables to tie into the power grid. Survey works will start using Arctia's Kaiku and Keila1 survey vessels to map the seabed morphology in high detail (multibeam echosounder) and shallow geology (Sub-bottom profiler). A side-scan sonar and magnetometer will be towed to identify natural (boulders) and man-made objects (wrecks, cables) and classify the seabed in combination with sediment sampling. Later on GEOxyz will mobilize the 55 m Geo Ocean VI to conduct 2D Ultra-High-Resolution-Seismic (UHRS) survey to obtain insight in sub-seabed geology up to 100 m below seabed.

The water depths range from 1 to 50 meters and the terrain is characterized by steep slopes and expected high variability in geological characteristics. This poses challenges to the survey operations. GEOxyz and Arctia, being committed to highest standards of safety, included bathymetric LIDAR operations to survey the ultra-shallow parts from the air to map potentially dangerous shallow zones prior to marine operations.

The parties have been working together to meet the ambitious schedule to execute the fieldworks in the 2024 season and provide the input for cable and turbine installation engineering works and further research to maintain the planning goals for windfarm commissioning.

“We are excited to announce the launch of the geophysical survey for the Korsnäs Offshore Wind Project," says Klaus Nissen, Project Director at Vattenfall. "We are proud to have selected GEOxyz and Arctia, both well-established and renowned contractors in the industry, to carry out this crucial work."

Anders Thomsen, Technical Project Manager at Vattenfall, adds, "This contract represents a critical milestone, marking a significant step forward in our efforts to develop Finland’s first major offshore wind farm. By thoroughly understanding the seabed conditions, we can move a crucial step closer to realizing the project."

"Renewable energy is a significant part of Finland's green transition, and the Korsnäs project is an important step towards achieving emission reduction targets. At Arctia, we are excited to be involved in this groundbreaking project's geophysical surveys," said Lauri Pöyhönen, SVP of Marine Survey Services at Arctia.

“It is a privilege to have been selected by Vattenfall and Metsähallitus for this project and we look forward to continuing the excellent relationship established during the recent Swedish Kriegers Flak surveys. We are pleased to bring on-board Arctia as an experienced Finnish partner, bringing in essential local knowledge that the project will benefit from.” said Willem Fontein, Area Manager at GEOxyz.

For more information:
Anders Thomsen, Technical Project Manager, Vattenfall, anders.thomsen@vattenfall.com, +45 2787 5873
Lauri Pöyhönen, SVP, Marine Survey Services, Arctia, lauri.poyhonen@arctia.fi, +358 50 558 7952, Arctia.fi/en
Willem Fontein, Area Manager Northern Europe, GEOxyz, willem.fontein@geoxyz.eu, +31623545835