ABL overseeing offshore Normandy wind construction campaigns

ABL will provide marine warranty surveyor services for transportation and installation of the Centre Manche 1 and Centre Manche 2 offshore wind substations in Normandy, northern France.

Centre Manche 1 and Centre Manche 2 are of the Appel d’Offre 4 (AO4) and Appel d’Offre 8 (AO8) projects allocated by the French government.

Plans call for Centre Manche 1 to connect the AO4 (1,050-MW) and part of the AO8 (200-MW) wind farms to the 400-kV substation at Menuel via a 100-km DC export cable.

Centre Manche 2 will connect A08 to the 400-kV substation at Tourbe through a 105-km DC cable. The two substations will each have a capacity of 1.25 GW.

ABL’s branch will support the transportation and installation campaign, including the export cables and the three 2-km interstation links.

Each platform topsides will weigh about 13,300 metric tons and the jackets about 7,000 t. 

ABL’s duties cover the technical review and approval of all transportation and installation engineering documentation related to warranted activities; participation in HAZID/HAZOP meetings; suitability surveys of the installation vessels; onshore and offshore attendance to approve the marine operations; and issuing certificates of approval.

Work will continue through completion of the project in 2032.