On January 15, NYK, the OYO Corporation (OYO) and Fugro agreed to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on an offshore geotechnical investigation partnership that would provide services required by the domestic offshore wind power industry.

On April 1, 2019, a new law intended to facilitate the development of offshore wind projects off Japan became effective, and demand within the offshore wind power generation market is now expected to expand. Before constructing an offshore wind power plant, it is necessary to collect geotechnical data in the sea area when considering the basic design of the wind turbines and the layout of the power plant.

In November 2020, NYK agreed to an MoU with Fugro to jointly operate an offshore geotechnical investigation vessel* and provide a CPT** service in Japan. The CPT is one of the various offshore geotechnical services provided to the offshore wind power industry. Through this tie-up, NYK and Fugro, together with OYO, will be able to offer CPTs and other geotechnical services, such as SPTs,*** thus establishing a system that can meet the wide range of research demands required for the construction of offshore wind farms.

In the future, the partnership, in cooperation with OYO, will be able to link various offshore geotechnical investigation results and provide data in a form that meets diverse customer needs.

OYO is Japan's largest geotechnical investigation company, and is recognized for its surveys and evaluations, include SPTs, to meet domestic construction standards.

NYK, OYO, and Fugro aim to provide a comprehensive offshore geotechnical service for the offshore wind power industry in Japan through the combination of an offshore geotechnical investigation vessel that is planned to be operated jointly by NYK and Fugro in FY2022 at the earliest, the knowledge and achievements of Fugro in the offshore geotechnical investigation industry for offshore wind power generation around the world, and the knowhow of OYO in the geotechnical business in Japan.

In accordance with the NYK Group’s medium-term management plan “Staying Ahead 2022 with Digitalization and Green,” the company has indicated its goal to integrate ESG principles into management strategies to implement green business initiatives and has been dedicated to achieving the SDGs through the group’s business activities. The Group will continue its efforts to contribute to the renewable energy business in Japan and overseas.

* Offshore geotechnical investigation vessel
A vessel that can carry out ground surveys such as the cone penetration test required for the design of foundation structures for offshore wind power generation facilities.

** Cone penetration test (CPT)
A cone attached to a penetration rod is press-fitted to measure tip resistance, peripheral friction, and pore water pressure, providing key data on ground strength, from which various studies in areas such as soil classification, bearing capacity, consolidation settlement, and liquefaction can be performed.

*** Standard penetration test (SPT)
One of the most common tests performed in boring surveys. Holes dug with a drilling machine can be used to measure the hardness of the ground. A 63.5 kg hammer free-falls from a height of 75 cm to determine the number of hits (N value) required to drive the standard penetration test sampler attached to the tip of the boring rod 30 cm into the ground. Since soil is sampled at the same time, it is possible to check the properties of the soil layer.

Headquarters: Tokyo
President: Masaru Narita
Website: https://www.oyo.co.jp/english/

Headquarters: Leidschendam, Netherlands
CEO: Mark R.F. Heine
Website: https://www.fugro.com/