DEMEOffshore and Herrenknecht have signed an agreement for the fabricationof a subsea drill to be deployed at the Saint-Nazaireoffshore wind farm in France. This is the first wind farm in the worldto use drilled XL-monopile foundations.

In 2019, a consortium including DEME Offshore and Eiffage Mtal was awardedan Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation (EPCI) contractfor 80 foundations for the French wind farm. The scope includes the design,fabrication, transportation and installation of the steel foundations.

The XL-monopile foundations have to be installed on a rocky seabed. DEMEOffshore and Herrenknecht are fabricating an innovative tailormade subseadrill specifically for the project. The subsea drill will be deployed fromDEME Offshores installation vessel Innovation.

Installing drilled XL-monopiles is a new step forward in the offshorewind industry, says Bart De Poorter, General Manager DEME Offshore.With this innovative solution, developed in partnership with Herrenknecht,we ensure that the installation is performed safely and efficiently inchallenging marine conditions.

The Offshore Foundation Drilling (OFD) enables mechanised installationof monopiles, thus providing ecological and economic advantages comparedto conventional methods, says Ulrich Schaffhauser, Member of theBoard of Management of Herrenknecht AG. We are proud, that DEME relieson Herrenknechts solution, expertise and know-how in the field of excavationtechnology. The project teams of DEME and Herrenknecht cooperated verywell, now we all are looking forward to project realisation.

The 480 MW Saint-Nazaireoffshore wind farm will be located between 12 km and 20 km off the coastof the Guerande peninsula in western France. Water depths at the site rangebetween 12 and 25 metres. The project is expected to generate enough electricityto supply 20% of the Loire-Atlantique department's power.It being developedby Eolien Maritime France (EMF), a project company co-owned by EDF EnergiesNouvelles Group and Enbridge.

For more information on offshore wind farms development, clickhere.Alternatively, you can view projects across the globe using 4C Offshore'sinteractivemap.

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DEME and Herrenknecht ink drill agreement - 4C Offshore