Dutch marine contractor Van Oord has been selected by Ailes Marines to install 62 jacket foundations for the 496MW Saint Brieuc offshore wind farm located on the English Channel off the coast of Saint Brieuc Bay, France.
Ailes Marines is responsible for the development, construction, installation and operation of the $2.8bn offshore wind farm.
Under the contract, Van Oord will transport and install 62 jacket foundations (steel lattice structure) and the foundation piles for the offshore substation.
Ailes Marines president Javier Garcia Perez said: “Having decided to proceed with the project, Ailes Marines is happy to sign this contract with Van Oord to transport and install the 62 jackets and the offshore substation foundation piles for the Saint-Brieuc project, that will become an important part of France’s energy transition to a green economy.
“Given the difficult circumstances created by the pandemic crisis, we are contributing to the recovery of industrial activity in France and the rest of Europe.
Van Oord plans to commence offshore operations in 2021 and use offshore installation vessel Aeolus for the installation of the pin piles.
In 2022, the Aeolus will start the installation of the jackets foundations at the wind farm site. The foundations will be manufactured in Fene, Spain and in Brest, France.
Saint Brieuc offshore wind farm to enter service in 2023
Featuring 62 units of Siemens-Gamesa wind turbines each with 8MW capacity, the wind project is scheduled for commissioning in 2023.
Van Oord CEO Pieter van Oord said: “The Saint-Brieuc project will be our first offshore wind project in France and I’m proud of our involvement.
“By taking on this offshore wind project, we are also contributing to the EU-wide renewable energy target of 32% by 2030.”
Ailes Marines is 70% owned by Iberdrola while the remaining stakes are held by RES Group with 22.5% and Caisse des Dépôts with 7.5%.
Last year, French cables supplier Nexans was selected by RTE France to supply and install offshore and onshore power export cables for the Saint Brieuc offshore wind project.
