A series of short videos reveals the human adventure behind the installation of WindFloat Atlantic
Today, the first episode of a new series on the installation of the WindFloat Atlantic project is available online, entitled Installing WindFloat Atlantic | Episode 1: Mooring Supply.
At mooring technology provider Vryhof, Senol Ozmutlu handles large offshore projects from management and supply chain to interfacing with certification authorities. He loves finding solutions and wants to supervise personally all the steps in the project, to make sure everything goes as planned. The story of how a somewhat idealistic idea turned into a reality. Follow him in the WindFloat Atlantic project.
This is the first of four episodes, allowing viewers to understand the installation process of a floating windfarm and to live through images the human adventure behind the WindFloat Atlantic project. You will get to know some of the people who made it happen, like Hélène Butat at Bourbon or Tiago Godinho at Principle Power.
It is a challenging project, because there’s no other project to compare it to. But the team behind this project is very solution-oriented and extremely competent.
— Projects Director at Vryhof
The series will feature the three partner companies: Bourbon Subsea Services, Vryhof, and Principle Power.
In charge of the project management, procurement, and engineering of the installation at sea, Bourbon Subsea Services also provides all the marine assets and necessary personnel for the offshore operations for the 3 turbines.
Vryhof is responsible for delivering the full mooring package, including controlling the supply chain and interfacing with certification authorities.
In addition to providing its patented WindFloat® technology solution, Principle Power is responsible for the full engineering and certification of the platform. It actively supports fabrication, installation, and commissioning of the three units and is responsible for Operations and Maintenance of the windfarm.
Episode 2, Mooring lines pre-lay operation, will be available on June 30. Episode 3, Floater preparation, will be released on July 7. The final episode 4, Hook-up Operation, closing the saga with the three units fully installed and connected, will be released on July 15.
The WindFloat Atlantic project marks an important milestone for the industry as this is the first semi-submersible floating wind farm in the world. The windfarm, located 20 km off the coast of Viana do Castelo in Portugal, is composed of three wind turbines with a total of 25MW capacity, able to generate enough energy to supply the equivalent of 60,000 users each year. WindFloat Atlantic is the first floating wind farm in continental Europe. The project is led by the WindPlus consortium, comprising EDP Renewables (54.4%), Engie (25%), Repsol (19.4%), and Principle Power (1.2%).
About Bourbon
Among the market leaders in marine services for offshore oil & gas, Bourbon offers the most demanding oil & gas companies a wide range of marine services, both surface and sub-surface, for offshore oil & gas fields and wind farms. These extensive services rely on a broad range of the latest-generation vessels and the expertise of more than 8,200 skilled employees. The group provides local services as close as possible to customers and their operations, guaranteeing the highest standard of service quality in complete safety in its 44 countries of operation.
Bourbon provides three operating activities (Marine & Logistics, Mobility and Subsea Services) and also protects the French coastline for the French Navy.
In 2019, Bourbon's revenue came to more than €720 million and the company operated a fleet of 458 vessels.
Since 2011, Bourbon Subsea Services has acquired unique experience in offshore wind turbine installation. After the installation of the anchorage of the first floating wind turbine in France as part of the European FLOATGEN project in 2017 and the installation of the first wind turbine at the Kincardine site off Aberdeen in Scotland for the Spanish construction group Cobra, Bourbon Subsea Services is today positioned as a leader in offshore wind turbine installation.
About Vryhof
Vryhof is a trusted partner to many of the offshore industry’s leading companies, delivering innovative and customer-focused anchoring and mooring solutions. We are committed to the highest standards of safety and integrity and are proud of our legacy and impeccable track record, delivering value in everything we do. Our 50-year history of setting standards and leading the way in the offshore sector makes us unique in terms of our expertise and breadth of services.
In recent years, Vryhof and its installation partners have taken full scope permanent mooring projects for offshore oil & gas and renewables applications by offering innovative and cost-effective solutions including design, procurement, installation, life extension, and decommissioning. Vryhof consists of: Deep Sea Mooring, MoorLink and Vryhof Anchors. Vryhof is backed by HitecVision, the leading European private equity investor in the oil and gas industry.
About Principle Power
Principle Power is a global energy technology and services company. The Company’s proven and in-demand WindFloat® floating technology is unlocking offshore wind potential worldwide by enabling projects to harvest the best wind resource, irrespective of water depth or seabed condition. Principle Power acts as a trusted partner to developers, independent power producers, utilities, and EPCs, supporting its customers throughout the entire lifecycle of their projects. With over 100 MW under construction and advanced development in Portugal, Scotland, and France, and a multi-GW commercial pipeline globally, Principle Power is the market leader in floating offshore wind technology.
