US-based Zupt has been awarded its first major offshore wind farm development project from a Tier 1 energy contractor off the northwest coast of France. Under the contract, the company will provide instrumentation and survey support during the installation of 64 wind turbine monopiles at the project’s site.
Zupt’s role will revolve around integrating a sensor suite to position a subsea template and monitor the large-diameter monopiles as they are installed through the template.
The company will provide 40 sensors, including cameras, lights, acoustic and mechanical proximity sensors, GNSS, multiplexors, and inertial measurement units, all connected to the surface via a 10 GB network architecture.
Custom-designed, manufactured, and tested by Zupt, the sensors will be placed across the template used in the installation process to monitor and ensure precise positioning and attitude while the monopiles are driven into the seabed, the company said.
In addition to the provision of sensors, Zupt has been contracted to provide project management, continuous engineering development, and on-site operational personnel throughout the monopile installations. The company’s role extends from development to operational phases, “ensuring a seamless integration of innovative technology into this offshore wind farm development,” Zupt said.
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The monopile installations are set to commence later this year, and the company said it is already preparing for a factory acceptance test in Houston, followed by a systems acceptance test at the client’s fabrication yard.
There are several offshore wind projects currently under construction in France, including the 450 MW Calvados . The project will feature 64 monopiles weighing up to 1,000 tonnes and 64 transition pieces weighing up to 600 tonnes.
Last year, France’s President Emmanuel Macron announced that the country plans to have around 40 GW of operating offshore wind capacity, corresponding to around 50 wind farms, by 2050.
France’s first commercial offshore wind farm, the 480 MW Saint-Nazaire, was fully commissioned in November 2022.