First Foundation Floated Out for French Pilot Wind Farm

May 24, 2023, by Adnan Memija

The first floating foundation of the Provence Grand Large floating offshore wind farm was floated out at Eiffage Métal’s site in Fos-sur-Mer, France.

Assembled at Eiffage Métal’s fabrication yard in Fos-sur-Mer, the three floating foundations are equipped at their ends with two submersible buoys between which is an innovative anchoring system, according to Smulders, the company responsible for the assembly of the structures together with Eiffage Métal.

The floating foundations are 45 metres high and will support wind turbines capable of producing 8.4 MW.

The 24 MW floating wind farm will comprise three Siemens Gamesa wind turbines installed on tensioned line floats designed by SBM Offshore and IFP Energies Nouvelles, and is scheduled to come online in 2023.

In 2022, SBM Offshore awarded BOA a contract to float off the three foundations using its Boa Barge 36.

Provence Grand Large is located 40 kilometres west of Marseille and 17 kilometres off the coast of Port Saint Louis du Rhône, in water depth of around 100 metres.

The Provence Grand Large floating offshore wind farm is owned by Parc Eolien Offshore de Provence Grand Large, a subsidiary of EDF Renouvelables, and Enbridge Eolien France 2 S.à.r.l (EEF2), a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc. and CPP Investments.

The project will be the first pilot floating wind farm in France. Its developers are planning to put the floating offshore wind farm into operation in 2023.