Fugro has finished its 2026 marine and coastal survey campaign for EirGrid, collecting information to help develop transmission links for Ireland’s planned 900 MW Tonn Nua offshore wind farm. Offshore Energy reported that the work forms part of the Irish transmission system operator’s Powering Up Offshore – South Coast programme and will also support consideration of other potential projects in the region.
The campaign covered 2,337 kilometres of maritime area and involved almost 70,000 hours of survey work. According to EirGrid, the findings will feed into engineering, environmental and planning assessments of possible offshore substations, subsea cable routes and connections to the onshore grid. It follows an initial survey phase in 2025, during which more than 40,000 working hours were devoted to examining 3,770 kilometres of seabed.
The Dutch marine survey company secured the site investigation work through a seven-year framework agreement with EirGrid, with specialist subcontractors contributing to the programme. Fugro has separately been monitoring marine mammals under a two-year contract. That work uses eight seabed stations fitted with underwater acoustic sensors to detect whales, dolphins and porpoises.
The latest surveys have concluded while EirGrid’s twelve-week public consultation on options for linking the Tonn Nua maritime area to the national grid remains open. Running until 8 December, it addresses possible landfall sites, offshore cable corridors and substations, alongside grid connection points and onshore transmission cable routes in Cork and Wexford. EirGrid said responses from communities, landowners, fisheries and other marine users would inform the next development stage.
Located off County Waterford, Tonn Nua was awarded to an ESB–Ørsted joint venture in Ireland’s second offshore wind auction in November 2025. The developers are advancing the early-stage wind project, while EirGrid is responsible for its offshore and onshore transmission infrastructure. Offshore Energy reported that the scheme is expected to produce enough electricity for almost one million homes. A final investment decision is anticipated around 2031, with electricity generation targeted to begin in the mid-2030s.