Triton Knoll offshore windfarm: Utility Search and Utility Mapping
Project Overview:
Triton Knoll is a large offshore windfarm situated in the North Sea, 22 km off the coast of Lincolnshire. To connect the wind farm to the national electricity grid required installation of cables from Chapel St Leonards to Bicker Fen, Lincolnshire, a route length of 63km. It’s 90 turbines have a capacity of 857 Mega Watts.
To install the onshore cables a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) program was planned and this needed to understand what existing utilities would be affected by the works. Premier Energy were appointed as we have a reputation for delivering high quality comprehensive utility searches that are both PAS128 and HSG47 compliant. Our reputation to listen to and understand client requirements and ability to deliver innovative and bespoke utility mapping was essential for our client.
Working with the Client the area of interest and buffer zone were established and a delivery specification agreed the client ordered a Utility Record Search and PALM128 interactive Utility Map. It was agreed that the local electricity network was to be split into different mapping layers to help easily identify plant that would impact the HDD program.
Premier Utility Search Report:
The Utility Search Report covered the entire 63km long linear route but was split into 10 sections to assist useability of the reports. Over 30 utility companies were contacted by our dedicated in-house team of utility search experts. The final utility report comprised several hundred C2 utility maps including: 250 Western Power electricity network plans, 180 Openreach network plans, 120 clean and wastewater plans and 104 gas distribution network plans. Our intuitive RAG rating system was applied to clearly identify areas of constraints due to existing utilities in and around the area of works and buffer zone.
PALM 128 Utility Map
The PALM 128 is a multi-layered interactive utility map that brings together all the utility assets from a large volume of C2 utility records into a single georeferenced utility map. The PALM 128 is fully compliant with PAS 128 making it essential for Health and Safety compliance. The utility mapping is presented in multiple viewports making it easier for users to locate their area of interest. Utilities are displayed in separate layers and can be turned on/off in order to be viewed in any combination. The PALM 128 utility map was delivered as an interactive PDF and DWG file.
How we helped our Client
The Utility Search Report covered the full length of the 63km cable route with the PALM128 Utility Map clearly showing the affected utilities within an agreed buffer of the proposed cable route. The PALM128 Utility Map was delivered as an interactive PDF for use in the office and could also be accessed on site via a suitable tablet device. The PALM 128 was also delivered as a DWG for use in CAD systems.
Together the Utility Search Report and PALM 128 utility mapping provided our client with clear, easy to interpret information essential for project planning and fulfilling health and safety obligations.
Triton Knoll offshore wind farm is now fully operational and it’s 90 turbines with a capacity of 857 MW will generate enough green electricity to power around 800,000 homes each year. Premier Energy are proud to have been involved in this significant national infrastructure project which will make a significant contribution to meeting our Zero Carbon objectives.
If you’re working on an infrastructure project or housing development that requires a clear understanding of complex utility information then get in touch with our friendly and knowledgeable team.