First monopile of the îles d’Yeu and Noirmoutieroffshore wind farm installed at sea in France

• The first monopile foundation of the îles d’Yeu and Noirmoutier offshore wind farm in France was successfully installed at sea by DEME on June 4th.
• Stored at the Port of La Rochelle, the monopiles will be transported by DEME’s ship “Innovation” to the offshore construction site.

June 2024. Ocean Winds, the international company dedicated to offshore wind energy and created as a 50-50 joint venture by EDP Renewables and ENGIE, confirms DEME’s installation vessel “Innovation” has successfully installed the îles d’Yeu and Noirmoutier offshore wind farm’s very first foundation. Arriving in the Port of La Rochelle on May 26, the vessel set sail for the project area loaded with 2 monopile foundations and 2 transition pieces, which will then be used to attach the mast to the foundation. After a 10-hour crossing, the Innovation arrived at the construction site on May 29. Laying of the first foundation then began, following a series of carefully planned steps to ensure safe and efficient installation of the equipment:

  • Raising the Innovation. This maneuver stabilizes the vessel by raising it above the surface of the water.
  • Deployment of the installation jig, drilling and installation of the monopile.
  • Installation of the transition piece.

The 61 foundations will be installed until early 2025.

Work on laying the monopiles, the first batch of which arrived in the Port of La Rochelle on April 5, began at the end of May. The monopiles are being transported and installed by DEME. Each foundation measures 7 m in diameter, and lengths vary from 45 to 68 m, to adapt to the different depths of the wind farm’s siting area. The foundations will be installed offshore until early 2025.

2 local companies to monitor the site

To guarantee the safety of ongoing operations, 2 surveillance vessels will be on hand to ensure compliance with navigation rules: the Alma Kappa from Alka Marine, a French specialist in marine renewable energy services based in Saint-Nazaire, and the TSM Texel from Thomas Services Maritimes, a major maritime player in the energy transition based in Brest. These ships communicate continuously, 24/7, via VHF radio.

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