Drilling resumed again at Saint-Brieuc OWF

Wind energy – Saint-Brieuc, France

Van Oord’s Aeolus has resumed drilling work at the Saint-Brieuc wind farm offshore France after the activities were halted once again last week due to the spillage of hydraulic fluid from one of the drills.

The drilling activities were halted last week after the drill leaked the hydraulic fluid into the marine environment and onto the vessel’s deck. Since than developer Ailes Marines has conducted several helicopter overflights of the area and has performed nautical patrols.

It is the second time that the Aeolus had to stop working due to leakage of hydraulic fluids from the drills. Back in June, the electronic safety system of the jig serving as a guide for the drilling on board Aeolus detected a sudden leak of hydraulic fluid.

No iridescence or slicks were observed in the marine environment during recent monitoring work, the developer said. In addition to the helicopter checks, three surveillance vessels intervened in accordance with the protocol to look for traces of iridescence on the surface, use absorbents if necessary and take seawater samples.

After it was clear that no there were no more traces of hydraulic fluid spilling into the marine environment, the Aeolus vessel was authorized to restart the foundation pile drilling at the site.

Original Source: https://ocean-energyresources.com/2021/08/02/drilling-resumed-again-at-saint-brieuc-owf/