Industry-first technology deployed to install foundations in solid rock

Wind Energy – Installation

DEME Offshore and Eiffage Métal completed the installation of 80 foundations at the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm in France.

Industry-first technology has been deployed to install the foundations in solid rock and to enhance operational working time.

Installation of the foundations started in spring 2021. DEME and its partner Herrenknecht jointly designed a 350-tonne Offshore Foundation Drill (OFD) to perform the drilling work for the XL monopiles.

Other unique equipment deployed at Saint-Nazaire is the MODIGA. At nearly 60 m high, the MODIGA encapsulates the drilling and installation operations, protecting them from the adverse Atlantic marine conditions, which in turn enhances operational working time. The complete technological solution has been deployed from the offshore installation vessel ‘Innovation’.

Bart De Poorter, General Manager DEME Offshore, says: “Deploying this world’s first equipment enabled us to complete the installation well ahead of schedule. Installation operations continued through the winter season, despite the combination of severe weather conditions and the harsh Atlantic ocean environment. At Saint-Nazaire, our teams and crew have not only gained substantial experience for the next offshore wind farm projects at the French coast, but also to successfully carry out installation works in similar challenging conditions across the globe.”

The Saint-Nazaire wind farm will have a total capacity of 480 MW or the equivalent of 20% of the French department Loire-Atlantique’s electricity needs.

Original Source: https://ocean-energyresources.com/2022/05/30/industry-first-technology-deployed-to-install-foundations-in-solid-rock/