Prysmian will begin working on the installation of inter-array cables at the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm at the beginning of next month, shortly after the vessels to be deployed for this operation arrive at the project site in France at the end of this month or in the first days of February.
Prysmian was awarded the contract to provide the inter-array cable systems for the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm back in 2020. The contract includes the design, supply, installation, and commission of the cables.
This is according to Ailes Marines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Iberdrola, which has now confirmed the commissioning of the 496 MW offshore wind farm is set for December 2023. Ailes Marines also said the commissioning will be gradual and done in tranches: 20 per cent, 50 per cent and 100 per cent, throughout the last month of this year.
Earlier this month, the developer announced the construction work was resuming at the project site, after the 2022 installation campaign was completed with jacket foundation piles installed and sealed on 40 wind turbine positions and 24 jackets in place, including that for the substation.
The developer has now set out a timeline for each of the offshore works that will be taking place this year. leading up to the commissioning.
Shortly after Prysmian starts installing the inter-array cables, a total of 90 kilometres of them, Van Oord0s vessel Aeolus will arrive at the site to continue installing the piles on the 22 remaining positions.
At the beginning of spring, the installation operations on the remaining 38 jacket foundations will resume, with the vessel to perform this work yet to be announced.
The first of the 62 Siemens Gamesa 8 MW wind turbines will be installed on their foundations before the summer.
All of these operations should mobilise around 30 vessels at the wind farm site, according to Ailes Matines.
The 496 MW Saint-Brieuc project is the first offshore wind farm in France to be equipped with jacket foundations.
The wind farm is located 16 kilometres off the northwest coast of France in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc in the English Channel and, once operational in December, it is expected to generate enough clean energy for 835,000 people.