Photo: Brodosplit
Croatian shipbuilding company Brodosplit has manufactured steel structures for the floating foundations of an offshore wind farm in one of the first such pilot projects in France.
The site for the EolMed project is approximately 18 kilometers from the coastal town of Gruissan in the Occitanie region of southern France.
Qair is leading the consortium, which includes oil and gas giant Total Energies and floating platform provider BW Ideol as its partners. The three 10 MW wind turbines, supplied by Vestas, are about to be installed at a spot where the sea is 55 meters deep.
According to Brodosplit, the project has entered its final phase after the successful launch of the three floating platforms in September.
It isn’t Brodosplit’s first floating wind farm project
The Croatian firm said it manufactured and delivered the metal structures for the floating foundations, in line with the highest quality and safety standards.
Before joining the EolMed project, it entered the floating wind farm segment through cooperation with Ocergie. Brodosplit has created an innovative measuring buoy, OCG-Data, for the France-based company’s Blue Oracle project.
The EolMed project received state support as part of the investments for the future program
The buoy is equipped with a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) system and advanced sensors for monitoring wind, waves, currents, and sea biodiversity, enabling the collection of crucial data for the development of floating wind farms and the preservation of the marine environment, Brodosplit pointed out.
Since EolMed’s initial design in 2016, it has been adjusted and adapted to incorporate the latest technologies. Initially comprising four wind turbines, the number has since been reduced to three for equivalent capacity.
The change also affected the choice of material for the floats – now steel instead of concrete. Construction began in April 2023, and completion is planned for this year.
The project received state support through the Investments for the Future Programme (Programme d’Investissements d’Avenir – PIA). The goal is to demonstrate the economic viability of floating wind farm technology.
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