Magazine | 10/21/2024

Wind power learns to swim: France’s first floating offshore wind farm

The latest story in the Group Magazine shows how the first floating offshore wind farm in France was built off the coast of Marseille. The ‘Provence Grand Large’ project comprises three 8.4 MW wind turbines on floating platforms anchored 17 kilometres off the coast. The use of the Liebherr LR 11350 crawler crane was crucial for the installation.

The project was realised by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy in cooperation with EDF Renouvables and Enbridge. Despite challenges such as delivery bottlenecks and the strong Mistral wind, the project was successfully completed.

The floating wind turbines offer a solution for offshore wind energy at previously unusable sea locations. They could have a significant impact on the future of renewable energies.