EDF Renouvelables’ Fécamp offshore wind farm maintenance base (pictured) has been inaugurated by a number of French dignitaries.
For the past few months, the building has housed the wind farm construction teams who will gradually be replaced by the teams in charge of the operation and maintenance of the 500MW offshore wind farm.
Built on the Grand Quai peninsula of Fécamp, the maintenance base is located at the exit of the port.
This makes it permanently accessible and equipped with pontoons intended for the reception of CTVs, EDF said.
The facility will act as a construction base until the completion of works by the end of 2023.
It will then become the center for the supervision of the offshore wind farm from land, and will remain so throughout the operational life of the park.
The base will house the team responsible for the operation and maintenance of the 71 wind turbines in the park, which will carry out various missions there on a daily basis.
These are expected to include preventive and corrective maintenance of the installations, monitoring and optimization of the park’s production, monitoring of weather conditions, planning of interventions and surveillance of access to the park.
Three CTVs, manufactured by the company Manche Industrie Marine based in Dieppe, will allow rotations between the base and the offshore wind farm.
EDF added that around 100 jobs will be created to ensure the operation and maintenance of the park in various trades.
These include maintenance technicians, supervision technicians, operations manager, but also trades in the maritime field and support functions.
Recruitment has already started and will end in 2023.
EDF Renouvelables director of the Fécamp offshore wind farm for Bertrand Allanic said: “The work on the Fécamp offshore wind farm is progressing at a good pace.
“Pending its commissioning scheduled for the end of 2023, the inauguration of the maintenance base marks a new progress of the site towards the commissioning of the park.
“Around 100 qualified people will work there during operation.
“We are happy that this new stage brings together, today, by our side, the actors of the territory who have always supported this renewable energy project in their region.”