Natural Power Secures Ground Investigation Contracts for Two Vattenfall Wind Farms

Natural Power has secured contracts from Vattenfall to deliver comprehensive ground investigation services for the proposed 100MW Ourack and 90MW Quantans Hill wind farm developments in Scotland. 

Natural Power has secured contracts from Vattenfall to deliver comprehensive ground investigation (GI) services for two proposed Scottish onshore wind developments: the 100MW Ourack Wind Farm and the 90MW Quantans Hill Wind Farm. The appointments strengthen a relationship between the two companies that has spanned more than 15 years and involve investigations intended to support the design and development of both projects. 

Under the contracts, Natural Power will carry out a wide-ranging programme of site investigations. This includes rotary core borehole drilling, sampling and geological logging, trial excavations and on-site geotechnical testing, as well as peatland surveys. The company will also undertake electrical resistivity and seismic refraction geophysical surveys to assess subsurface conditions. 

The scope also includes aerial topographical surveys using semi-autonomous drone technology. By combining conventional ground investigation methods with geophysical surveys and drone-based surveying, Natural Power aims to provide Vattenfall with detailed information about the sites' geological, geotechnical and environmental conditions. 

The information gathered through these investigations will support detailed project design and engineering decisions for the two wind farms. It will also help identify and reduce potential construction risks, allowing the developments to progress with a better understanding of ground conditions and other site constraints. Natural Power's multidisciplinary construction and geotechnical teams will deliver the work using specialist site-investigation techniques and advanced survey technologies. The company said the contracts reinforce its position as a partner to renewable-energy developers and support the development of new onshore wind capacity contributing to the UK's transition to a low-carbon energy system.