SBM Details Floating System for EDF’s Provence Grand Large Project

As reported last week, SBM Offshore will deliver the floating platforms for the pilot wind energy project EDF EN will set up off the French coast, after being selected by the French government as one of the two new winners at the floating wind tender. SBM today provided details related to its part of the work on EDF’s Provence Grand Large project. 

Within the context of EDF EN being awarded the development of the project, SBM Offshore said that its tender selected by the developer to provide its floating systems for the project’s 8MW offshore wind turbines now gains official acceptance. The project is subject to achieving committed financing, which would result in a contract to include engineering, procurement, construction and installation services for three floating systems.

SBM Offshore has been collaborating with IFP Energies Nouvelles (IFPEN), a French research and innovation organization in the field of offshore wind energy, on developing a floating structure for offshore wind turbines, which is currently at an advanced stage of development. The duo will now work on further developing the floating system and its engineering capabilities, with IFPEN providing engineering services to SBM Offshore for the Provence Grand Large project.

The floating system is light and modular, it has low motions and accelerations at nacelle level, and does not require any construction or port infrastructure, SBM said.

According to the company, the use of inclined legs to create a fixed point close to the nacelle location results in outstanding motion performance, reducing the loads on the turbine and the mast. Additionally, the inclined legs result in a drastic reduction of the tension in the mooring lines both in operational and extreme cases. Finally, the limited excursion of the floater allows the use of a simple and cost efficient catenary electrical cable configuration.

“Easily installable with light and standard means, the floater also has a reduced seabed footprint and is simple to decommission, leading to a competitive cost of energy,” SBM pointed out.