DEME Offshore has signed an agreement with Herrenknecht for the fabrication of a subsea drill to be deployed at the 480MW Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm off France.
The wind farm will be the first in the world to use drilled XL-monopile foundations, DEME said.
The company said the XL-monopile foundations have to be installed on a difficult rocky seabed, therefore Herrenknecht is fabricating a tailor-made subsea drill specifically for the project.
The subsea drill will be deployed from DEME Offshore’s installation vessel Innovation.
DEME Offshore general manager Bart De Poorter said: “Installing drilled XL-monopiles is a new step forward in the offshore wind industry.
“With this innovative solution, developed in partnership with Herrenknecht, we ensure that the installation is performed safely and efficiently in challenging marine conditions.”
Herrenknecht board management member Ulrich Schaffhauser said: “The offshore foundation drilling enables mechanised installation of monopiles, thus providing ecological and economic advantages compared to conventional methods.
“We are proud, that DEME relies on Herrenknecht’s solution, expertise and know-how in the field of excavation technology.
“The project teams of DEME and Herrenknecht cooperated very well, now we all are looking forward to project realisation.”
A consortium including DEME Offshore and Eiffage Metal was awarded the EPCI contract for 80 foundations for Saint-Nazaire in 2019.
The scope includes the design, fabrication, transportation and installation of the steel foundations.
Saint-Nazaire is owned by EDF Renewables and Enbridge and will be located between 12km and 20km off the coast of the Guerande peninsula in western France.