Floating wind momentum builds in Europe with BV certification and new UK lease awards

Europe’s floating offshore wind sector marked two milestones recently.

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) has completed certification of the Provence Grand Large (PGL) project, a 25-MW floating wind farm located 17 km off the coast of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, France.

Meanwhile, in the UK, Equinor and Gwynt Glas have secured lease agreements for two floating wind sites in the Celtic Sea, each with potential capacities of up to 1.5 GW, signaling continued momentum for large-scale deployment across Europe.

BV concludes PGL floating offshore wind development certification

BV has completed certification of the PGL floating offshore wind project offshore southern France.

EDF, Enbridge and CPP Investments developed the 25-MW project, which comprises three 8-MW wind turbines and towers, supplied by Siemens Gamesa.

SBM Offshore and IFPEN collaborated on the floating foundation design; Eiffage Métal managed the fabrication process; and Prysmian supplied the dynamic subsea power cables, which follow and adapt to the movements of the platforms while transporting the electricity generated to the RTE-operated onshore connection station to the national grid.

BV has been involved since the project started in 2017, applying international certification methodologies. The process initially involved a design documentation review to verify that the technical specifications complied with applicable industry standards, then progressed through manufacturing oversight, with monitoring of production and quality control of key components in multiple regions.

During final assembly at Eiffage Métal's Fos-sur-Mer yard, BV says its specialists were performing detailed inspections and assessments. Transportation and installation also attracted special scrutiny, with BV’s project team working with the marine warranty surveyor to safeguard precise deployments of the offshore infrastructure.

Finally, BV specialists were in attendance for the final commissioning tests, confirming the project's operational readiness.

Since its commissioning in early June, the project has operated safely and efficiently, BV added, while attaining the performance parameters determined during the design phase.

Celtic Sea project development process underway

In the UK, Equinor and Gwynt Glas, a joint venture between EDF power solutions and ESB, have entered lease agreements for their floating wind farm projects in the Celtic Sea.

They were named preferred bidders in June for delivering two sites offshore South Wales and southwest England, each with a capacity of up to 1.5 GW, under the Crown Estate’s Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5.

The focus will now move to developing their respective project designs, onshore and offshore site surveys, environmental impact assessments (EIA), public consultations, and securing planning consents. 

They can then apply for a full lease from The Crown Estate to construct and operate the new wind farms, which could be in service by the mid-2030’s.