France’s DEME Group has installed the first offshore substation (OSS) in the country. The OSS, which weighed 2,100 tonnes, was installed at Saint-Nazaire—the site of the country’s first commercial offshore wind farm.
The 480 MW wind farm is owned by EDF Renouvelables (50 per cent), Enbridge (25.5 per cent) and Canada Pension Plan (24.5 per cent) and is expected to be fully commissioned by the end of 2022.
The contract for the substation was awarded in 2019 to a consortium including Atlantique Offshore Energy (the business unit of Chantiers de l’Atlantique dedicated to Renewable Marine Energies), GE Grid Solutions and DEME Group’s French subsidiary SDI.
DEME Offshore Renewables was responsible for the transportation and installation of the OSS, including the offshore pre-piling works, whereas Chantiers de l’Atlantique was responsible for the topside and jacket foundation design, manufacturing and commissioning. The high voltage electrical equipment and protection control systems’ design, manufacturing and commissioning was part of GE Grid Solutions’ scope of work.
