Louis Dreyfus Armateurs and Tidal Transit JV LD Tide has been selected to provide two CTVs to the 480MW Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm.
Under the contract with GE Renewable Energy Offshore Wind, two units will be designed by naval architect MAURIC and built by French shipyard OCEA.
The construction of the two CTVs will start in 2021 with commissioning scheduled for 2022.
With 80 GE Haliade 150-6MW wind turbines, the French wind farm will supply 20% of the electricity consumption of the Loire-Atlantique department.
The two CTVs will sail under the French flag and will have the mission of ensuring the transfer of up to 24 technicians between the coast and the farm for wind turbines maintenance.
GE selecting the LD Tide CTVs boosts the structuring and development of the French maritime industry dedicated to Renewable Marine Energy.
In addition to this contract, two other industrial partnerships have indeed been established with French companies.
Louis Dreyfus Armateurs deputy chief executive Kamil Beffa said: “We are particularly proud of this first partnership with GE, a leading company in renewable energies.
“This success is definitely in line with our strategy to develop activities dedicated to MRE.
“We are strengthening our commitment to clean and renewable energies while confirming our strategy for more innovative maritime solutions in terms of comfort, personnel safety and respect of the environment.
“We are also very proud to participate in the development and structuring of the French maritime industrial sector dedicated to offshore wind turbines, which will provide further jobs and activities through our partnerships with GE Renewable Energy Offshore Wind, naval architecture firm MAURIC and French shipbuilding company OCEA.”
Tidal Transit commercial d irector Leo Hambro added: “We are delighted to have created a new company in France with Louis Dreyfus Armateurs.
“With ten years of experience in the offshore wind industry, Tidal Transit has built a solid reputation for delivering the best vessels with the best crew at a competitive price.
“Despite our late arrival in the sector in the United Kingdom, we are very happy to take part in this large-scale development phase in France, with a renowned local partner such as Louis Dreyfus Armateurs.
“We are delighted to bring our experience in the operation and delivery of innovative access solutions. MAURIC’s design will bring additional efficiency gains that are yet to be seen in the market and we look forward to introducing it to the whole industry.”