DEME, Eiffage complete Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm foundation installation

Offshore staff

BELGIUM — DEME Offshore and Eiffage Métal have completed the installation of 80 foundations at the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm in France, according to a recent DEME news release.

New 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 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 system has been deployed from the Innovation offshore installation vessel.

DEME Offshore and Eiffage Métal have involved more than 200 companies from Pays de Loire and France in the project, mainly small and medium enterprises, creating job opportunities and contributing to the development of the blue economy in France, according to the release.

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. The wind farm is being developed by EDF Renouvelables, Enbridge and CPP Investments.

“Deploying this world’s first equipment enabled us to complete the installation well ahead of schedule," said Bart De Poorter, general manager with DEME Offshore. "Installation operations continued through the winter season, despite the combination of severe weather conditions and the harsh Atlantic ocean environment." 

06.03.2022