Fugro Awarded Marine Mammal Monitoring Contract for Irish Offshore Wind Grid Connection

## Fugro to Lead Marine Mammal Monitoring Campaign for Irish Offshore Wind Development Global geo-data specialist Fugro has been awarded a contract to carry out a long-term marine mammal monitoring campaign in Ireland, according to Offshore Energy. The two-year programme is linked to an offshore wind grid connection project and reflects the increasingly rigorous environmental oversight being applied to renewable energy infrastructure in European waters. Marine mammal monitoring has become a critical component of offshore wind development consenting and construction processes, particularly as projects move into ecologically sensitive coastal and near-shore environments. Regulators across Europe require developers to assess and mitigate potential impacts on protected species such as harbour porpoises, dolphins, and seals — all of which are commonly found in Irish waters. Fugro's scope of work is expected to involve passive acoustic monitoring and potentially visual observation surveys, methodologies the company has deployed extensively across North Sea and Atlantic offshore energy projects. The data gathered will help ensure that construction and operational activities associated with the grid connection comply with Irish and EU environmental legislation, including the EU Habitats Directive. The contract award comes as Ireland accelerates its offshore wind ambitions. The Irish government has set a target of 5 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 as part of its broader Climate Action Plan, with grid connection infrastructure representing one of the key bottlenecks to achieving that goal. Projects such as this one are central to unlocking the transmission capacity needed to bring offshore-generated power onshore. For Fugro, the contract reinforces the company's position in the environmental monitoring segment of the offshore energy market — a sector that is growing in tandem with the rapid expansion of wind farm development across the North Atlantic. The company has built a substantial portfolio of marine survey and monitoring services supporting both the oil and gas and renewable energy industries. The broader offshore wind supply chain is watching Ireland's development pipeline closely, as the country's relatively late entry into the sector means significant infrastructure investment is expected over the coming decade. Environmental monitoring contracts of this nature are typically among the first to be awarded, preceding major construction activity and signalling forward momentum on project timelines. *Source: Offshore Energy*