Chantiers de l’Atlantique, EDF power solutions, Heerema Marine Contractors, Menck, RTE, Sealence and Smulders have formed the Searénité consortium to develop a dedicated solution designed to limit underwater noise generated during offshore construction, particularly for floating wind and substation foundations.
While noise mitigation systems already exist, the Searénité consortium says it aims to introduce advanced technologies tailored to the marine environment to minimise potential impacts even further.
The project centres on adapting Sealence’s SubSea Quieter technology for jacket foundation and floating wind turbine deepwater anchoring. The system relies on air-inflatable membrane panels installed around subsea structures to create an acoustic barrier that limits noise emissions during piling and installation activities. The consortium plans to validate the solution for water depths of up to 300 metres.
Backed by EUR 7.1 million in funding under the France 2030 programme, the initiative will first move through design, modelling and testing phases, focusing on specifying SubSea Quieter for floating wind turbine anchors, offshore substations, and wind turbines using jacket-type foundations during its first year.
Prototype trials are scheduled for 2028 at the Port of Saint-Nazaire, followed by a potential full-scale offshore demonstration during a substation installation, subject to successful validation during the prototype phase.
According to the partners, the technology is intended to deliver “effective noise reduction through a simple, economical, and ecological solution adapted to deepwater installations,” representing “a major technological advance toward sustainable coexistence between energy development and marine biodiversity preservation.”