Building a floating foundation in concrete has shown to be a cheaper solution, not only construction-wise but with O&M taken into account as well, since the material is much more durable at sea – as learned from the offshore oil & gas industry – according to Bruno Geschier, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Ideol.
With future offshore wind farms that will have a lifespan of more than 30 years, concrete would be a better solution since, unlike steel, concrete floating foundations require one inspection annually. “Concrete withstands the test of time much better than steel,” Geschier told Offshore WIND during an Expertise Hub interview at the beginning of June. By using the material, issues such as corrosion and painting and coating requirements are automatically excluded, leading to much easier maintenance.
Nevertheless, while concrete has turned out to be a better choice in terms of cost-efficiency and durability, steel floating foundations are chosen due to other factors. To learn more on this subject, watch the Offshore WIND Expertise Hub video.
Currently, Ideol is working on the French Floatgen project, which has progressed since our interview and the mooring system is now installed at the SEM-REV site off Brittany, France. The turbine will be installed by the end of the year.
For more Expertise Hub interviews, visit Navingo’s Offshore WIND channel on Vimeo .