DEME has installed the first offshore substation (OSS) in France for the 480MW Saint-Nazaire offshore wind project.
The OSS, weighing 2100 tonnes, was constructed by a consortium including Atlantique Offshore Energy, the business unit of Chantiers de l’Atlantique dedicated to marine renewables, GE Grid Solutions and DEME Group’s French subsidiary SDI.
Saint-Nazaire is being developed by EDF Renewables and EIH, an indirect subsidiary of Enbridge, and CPP Investments.
Saint-Nazaire, scheduled to be operational in 2022, is the first commercial offshore wind farm installed in French waters. The contract for the substation was awarded in 2019.
The vessel Pioneering Spirit installed the substation.
The ACS division of GE Grid Solutions, located in Saint-Priest, France, designed and integrated the high and medium voltage OSS, including five 220kV gas insulated switchgear units from Aix Les Bains, France, two 220/33kV transformers manufactured in Monchengladbach, Germany, two SCADA systems developed in Montpellier, France and one 33kV gas insulated switchgear and a telecommunication system.
DEME Offshore carried out the transport and installation of the OSS, including the offshore pre-piling works.
Chantiers de l’Atlantique is responsible for the topside and jacket foundation design, manufacturing and commissioning.
GE Grid Solutions is responsible for the high voltage electrical equipment and protection control systems design, manufacturing and commissioning.
Bart De Poorter, general manager of DEME Offshore Renewables, said: “The construction and installation of the OSS is the result of strong cooperation between the consortium members, with each partner bringing its expertise and highest level of execution to the project, enabling us to meet the stringent quality, safety and environmental standards.
“As a result of this cooperation, we were able to design, fabricate and install the OSS in only 26 months, which is an incredible achievement and testament to the collaboration with our partners.
“At DEME, we are certainly very proud that our expertise has played such a significant role in reaching this key milestone in the renewables industry, with Saint-Nazaire due to be the first commercial offshore wind farm in France.”
The same consortium responsible for Saint-Nazaire has also been selected by Eoliennes Offshore des Hautes Falaises et Eoliennes Offshore du Calvados to design, manufacture and install the electrical substations for the Fecamp and Calvados (Courseulles-sur-Mer) wind farms in Normandy, France.