BARD Engineering GmbH is planning the installation of 80 offshore wind turbines within the wind farm BARD Offshore I some 90 km north of the Island of Borkum in the German Bight. The water depth is about 40 m.

FUGRO was contracted by BARD Engineering GmbH to perform the main geotechnical site investigation according to the BSH Standard following a preliminary investigation conducted in 2005.

The first phase in 2005 was also performed by FUGRO comprising the performance a total number of 20 boreholes either with continuous CPT testing or with combined sampling and discontinuous CPT testing to a maximum depth of 40 m below seabed.

Following the standard for Geotechnical site investigations for offshore wind turbines of the German authority for Hydrography (Bundesamt für Seeschiffahrt und Hydrografie - BSH), the second investigation phase shall comprise the performance of boreholes and cone penetration tests at 77 dedicated locations, up to the planned maximum end depth of 40 - 45 m below seabed. Additionally one borehole shall be extended with continuous sampling to 60 m below seabed for scientific purposes.

The works will be carried out with the drilling vessel M.V. Gargano using down-hole equipment. The down-hole system WISON will be applied for the discontinuous CPTs and the WIPSAMPLER will be used for sampling. It is planned to perform the fieldwork in a period between April and June under the overall management of the Geoengineering Department of FUGRO CONSULT GmbH (GER) in cooperation with FUGRO Engineers B.V. (NL).

Within this campaign FUGRO will perform further geotechnical investigations for the transformer station of E.ON Netz AG located immediately west of the BARD wind farm.