by Sian Napier

snapier@thekmgroup.co.uk

Deep Diver, the vessel which has been surveying the seabed
off Whitstable this summer, has been back for a few days
this week for more investigations.

While rumours spread of someone drilling for oil, the work was
really part of European energy company Vattenfall’s plans to extend
the Kentish Flats offshore wind farm.

Investigative work has been going on since August and is needed
to find out the character of ground conditions below the seabed for
the preliminary design of the foundations and cable burial.

Vattenfall's Jason Ormiston said the work was part of the
company's technical survey, with Deep Diver drilling for mud cores
from the seabed.

"The extension project will involve a detailed planning
application and work such as this survey is needed to understand
the seabed so that if or when we get permission to build the extra
turbines we shall know what the conditions are like," Mr Ormiston
said.

"Cores from the seabed will be sent to specialists to analyse
and produce information for work on designing the foundations and
cables which will run between the turbines and from them to the
shore.

"It is a major engineering excercise."

Goran Loman, project manager for Vattenfall's proposal to extend
Kentish Flats, said: "About two-thirds of the geotechnical survey
has been completed and Fugro Seacore's Deep Diver is ready to
complete surveys off Whitstable.

"Weather permitting we hope that the surveys will be completed
during November following which there will be a careful analysis of
ground conditions below the seabed essential for the preliminary
design of the foundations and cable burial."

Vattenfall hopes to add up to 17 turbines to the existing 30
which are 5.5 miles offshore between Whitstable and Herne Bay.

If approved, the extended windfarm would stretch south and west
and be completed by 2014.

Vattenfall says the Kentish Flats wind farm would be expected to
generate enough green electricity every year to meet the total
annual electricity needs of between 82,000 and 96,000
households.

Concerns have been raised that the new turbines would be closer
to shore and potentially disrupt commercial fishing.

For more information on Kentish Flats Extension,
see Vattenfall's website.