Testing, inspection, and classification company Bureau Veritas (BV) has been awarded a project certification contract for EolMed, a floating offshore wind farm pilot project in France developed by Qair and involving Total, Ideol, and Vestas Wind Systems A/S.
Located in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Gruissan in the Aude region, EolMed is one of four floating pilot farms under development in France.
It will consist of three Vestas V164-10 MW wind turbines which will have a total capacity of 30MW and will be able to meet the energy needs of 50,000 people. The wind turbines will be installed on floating foundations more than 18 km from the shore and anchored at an average depth of 60 meters.
The square-shaped floating foundations with a central opening have been manufactured to Ideol’s patented Damping Pool® design which reduces swell impact. The wind turbine is fixed at the back of the floater.
Bureau Veritas will provide technical expertise and assessment of the floating foundations, their mooring system and the dynamic sections of the inter-array cables.
The Bureau Veritas certification process will encompass the design specifications, including a review of applicable standards and appropriate design methodologies; the integrated load analysis, covering an assessment of the aero-hydro coupled loads with an independent model; the design evaluation with a review of analysis reports, structural drawings and specifications. Bureau Veritas will also perform independent strength and fatigue analysis.
Matthieu de Tugny, Executive Vice President Marine & Offshore at Bureau Veritas, commented: “Being the trusted certification partner for the EolMed project is an opportunity to validate floating foundation technology. The floating wind farm sector is fast-transitioning, from prototypes to pilot farms and, ultimately, commercialisation. This is an exciting time for the offshore wind market. Bureau Veritas is well positioned to support wind farm initiatives and provide confidence in both fixed and floating wind energy.”
Jérôme Billerey, General Director of Qair France, stated: “EolMed is very pleased to entrust the floating wind farm design certification to Bureau Veritas. This certification will ensure project reliability and sustainability, a critical step for offshore renewable energy development in Occitanie and worldwide.”
