ABS Group picked for French floating wind farm design verification

Turbines will be mounted on WindFloat semi-submersible floaters from Principle Power Inc

APRIL 24, 2018 — A consortium comprising ENGIE, EDP Renewables and Caisse des Dépôts, has selected the ABS Group to provide design verification services for the Les Eoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL) wind farm pilot project offshore France.

EFGL will consist of four GE Haliade 150-6 megawatt (MW) turbines, which will be mounted on the WindFloat semi-submersible floater from Principle Power Inc. in the Mediterranean Sea. Planned for a total power capacity of 24 MW, the wind farm will be located approximately 10.5 miles (16-17 kilometers) off the coast of the Leucate/Le Barcarès area in France and installed in 213-263 feet (65-80 meters) water depth.

ABS Group’s certification scope will cover design basis evaluation and detailed design evaluation of the turbine rotor-nacelle-assembly, tower and dynamic cable. ABS Group will also provide an integrated load analysis of the entire asset, which will include modeling the floater and simulating and analyzing environmental conditions such as wind, wave and current, as well as the wind turbine and floater behaviors.

“We are proud to support the EFGL consortium on this innovative European offshore wind farm project, and one that strengthens our footprint in the European offshore wind business,” says Torsten Muuss, Director of Global Renewable Energy for ABS Group. “This award is a testament to the confidence ABS Group provides our clients as a trusted advisor to the global renewable and offshore wind sector. We look forward to helping the consortium meet the required certification scope as set forth by IEC 61400-22 and the ABS Guide for Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Installations.”

On November 3, 2016, the French Government approved the energy consortium’s plan to develop and operate the EFGL floating wind farm in the Mediterranean Sea, with the ambition of positioning France as a worldwide leader in this high-potential emerging industry.