At the location of the 500 MW Fécamp offshore wind farm in France, the gravity-based foundations are now being installed by Heerema Marine Contractors’ vessel Sleipnir on behalf of Saipem.
With the start of the offshore transportation, installation, and commissioning, the Fécamp offshore wind project has reached a new stage.
Three cargo barges owned by Saipem are used to transport the gravity foundations three by three by tugboats to their final location at sea. They will alternate between the Ville du Havre’s Bougainville Quay and the Villede Fécamp’s coastline. Heerema announced on social media that these maneuvers, which are being carried out by Bouygues Travaux Publics, Boskalis, Saipem, and its subcontractor Sarens, will take several weeks.
The first unit was loaded onto its transport barge last month. The fabrication of the foundations began in 2020. Each foundation has a base diameter of 31 meters and a weight of 5,000 tonnes. Where the unit will be installed determines the height of the foundation, which can be anywhere between 48 and 54 meters.
71 Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy 7 MW turbines made in France will be used in the wind project. The project will generate electricity equivalent to the power needs of more than 416,000 homes.
Image source: Heerema
