Posted on August 29, 2022
Installation of the 62 jacket foundations for the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm in France is progressing steadily. To date, Van Oord has successfully completed the installation of 24 jacket foundations. Meanwhile, Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel Aeolus is continuing with pre-piling works at the remaining foundation locations. Almost half of the wind farm foundation locations have been drilled and equipped with pin piles. The works will be completed in 2023.
Van Oord is responsible for the transport and installation of 62 jacket foundations for the wind turbines and the foundation piles for the offshore substation. This project is one of the most difficult offshore wind foundation contracts ever built. Due to the extremely hard rocky seabed, an innovative drilling method is being used to install the foundations. The extreme hard soil at the project site is challenging our equipment and expertise.
With its rocky seabed, heavy swell and high tides, it’s fair to say that the conditions for building a wind farm off the coast of Saint-Brieuc are challenging. Even so, France wants to generate sustainable energy and offshore wind farms are part of its strategy. We are proud to contribute to the energy transition in France.
— Ivar Daemen – Project Director
The Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm is being constructed in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc, 16.3 kilometres off the coast of Brittany. It is the first wind farm in France to be equipped with jacket foundations. Once operational, the wind farm will have a total installed capacity of 496 MW, capable of generating enough clean energy for 835,000 people.
