Fugro uses this type of vessel to determine the exact composition of the soil; the resulting data are essential to establish the optimal location and design of offshore developments, such as wind farms. The vessel provides increased personnel and operational safety, whilst its energy efficient design results, on average, in significantly lower fuel consumption than for other geotechnical vessels. Moreover, its ability to take hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) biofuel and remote operations and data processing capabilities support sustainable operations.

Barbara Geelen, Fugro’s Chief Financial Officer, will perform the naming ceremony ahead of the vessel’s maiden voyage. The vessel will commence operations in December for Vattenfall’s offshore wind farm near Norfolk in the United Kingdom.

Fugro Quest ’s capabilities include the acquisition of high-quality geotechnical data from 2,000 metres below sea level. The vessel is equipped with cutting-edge systems and advanced deep-water technology such as WISON^® Mk V Ecodrive, SEACALF^® Mk V Deep Drive^® as well as dedicated coring systems and onboard soil-testing laboratory facilities. Its remote positioning and fast data-processing capabilities enable clients to access acquired project data in near real time from the cloud.

Dennis Koenen, Fugro’s Service Line Director for Geotechnics in Europe and Africa said: “Today’s launch is fully aligned with our path to net zero operations by 2035. Fugro Quest consumes less fuel than other large geotechnical vessels. It is hybrid ready, comes with automatic handling of tubulars and geotechnical tools and has the latest IT capabilities onboard to safely carry out operations across the globe. Bookings until July 2023 are already in place, and we’re excited to show how our new vessel can enhance the execution of our projects.”