BW Ideol’s Proposed Factory for Serial Floating Foundation Production Secures EU Grant

BW Ideol’s project involving a factory for serial production of concrete floating wind foundations in Fos-sur-Mer, France, has been selected for funding by the European Commission under the EU Innovation Fund, for a grant of up to EUR 74 million.

The project, named Fos3F, was selected alongside ten other projects in the Cleantech Manufacturing segment of the funding call, which targets the production of components for renewable energy. Project developers and the European Commission (EC) will now enter the grant agreement preparation phase, during which the funding contract will be finalised. This includes confirming the budget, timetable, technical deliverables and legal responsibilities, and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026, according to the EC.

In addition to the grant, BW Ideol’s project has been granted the Strategic Technology for Europe Platform (STEP) seal, a label of excellence for promising projects, the company said on 4 November.

The factory that BW Ideol plans to build and operate on France’s Mediterranean coast will be dedicated to the serial fabrication of concrete substructures based on BW Ideol’s Damping Pool design.

“This design is the only floating foundation proven at sea on two continents and is engineered to meet the requirements of both current (15+ MW) and next-generation (20+ MW) floating wind turbines”, BW Ideol says.

The innovation part of the proposed fabrication line encompasses applying field-proven technologies like gantry slip-forming, skidding systems, and automated prefabrication commonly used for civil infrastructure and adapting them to the serial production of BW Ideol’s foundations, according to the company.

The serial fabrication line is planned to serve multiple floating wind projects across France, Spain, Italy, and Greece, representing a total market estimated at around 8 GW by 2043.

The factory in Fos-sur-Mer will also be a major driver for the local economy, creating around 1,300 direct jobs, BW Ideol says.

“We are very proud that our Fos3F project has been awarded under the EU Innovation Fund and received the STEP seal. This recognition by the European Commission underlines the strategic importance of this factory for the energy transition of the Mediterranean coast and the relevance of our positioning and products. Support from the European Union will be a catalyst for the implementation of this factory and for structuring a competitive floating wind industry”, said Paul de la Guérivière, CEO of BW Ideol.

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