The first gravity base foundation has been installed at the 500MW Fécamp offshore wind project off the coast of France.
The consortium made up of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Saipem and Boskalis is in charge of the construction, transport and offshore installation of the gravity foundations.
Each foundation weighs nearly 5000 tonnes and measures 31 metres in diameter at its base.
The height of the foundation, ranging from 48 to 54 metres, varies depending on the depth.
The gravity base foundations are loaded one by one on barges hosting three foundations and then securely secured thanks to a fastening system, at Quai de Bougainville in Le Havre.
The tugs then transport them to the site at sea where the installation vessel Sleipnir, operating on behalf of Saipem, will install the foundations by depositing them on the seabed.
Upstream of these operations, Boskalis’ Rockpiper ship lays a bed of gravel on the seabed to ensure the ground is flat.
Once laid, the foundations are ballasted with gravel.
The installation of the gravity foundations, more than 13 km from the coast of Fécamp, will continue in the coming months in compliance with strict safety and environmental protection rules.
The wind farm is being developed by a consortium led by EDF.