GEODIS: Offshore Wind Logistics Expertise for the Gulf of Lion

A Major milestone for France’s Offshore wind industry

Les Eoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion is an offshore wind farm project located off the coast of France in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of three wind turbines mounted on floating platforms installed in the Gulf of Lion, one of France's windiest areas. Generating a total of 30 MW of electricity, the project will contribute to EU and national renewable energy targets and advance France's leadership in floating wind technology.

Complex engineering and logistics challenges

Eiffage Métal, a leader in turnkey fabrication of metal structures for industrial construction projects, built the floating platforms in its yard in Fos sur Mer. The company commissioned GEODIS to launch these three 2,000-ton triangular steel substructures inside the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille (GPMM) from April to June this year. Despite complex challenges related to engineering, weather and the sheer size and weight of the cargo, GEODIS successfully completed the operation safely, on time and within budget.

A Tailored solution: Semi-Submersible Barge Operations

A semi-submersible barge was used to launch the three WindFloat® platforms - a perfect solution to complete the operation safely and at competitive rates. Each triangular substructure was loaded and secured onto the barge at Eiffage's construction site in Fos-sur-Mer and then towed for two hours to the Carfos terminal at GPMM where the cargo was floated off the vessel.

Engineering Preparation and Safety Collaboration

This floating offshore windfarm is a pilot project attracting a lot of media attention, so nothing was left to chance. "The complexity of the project meant that we had to undertake extensive engineering preparation, including grillage design, sea fastening requirements and ballasting calculations," says Nicolas Bonnier, Global Manager Offshore Wind. "We also collaborated closely with the client, port authorities, tow masters, the marine warranty surveyor and other local stakeholders since we had to deal with strict weather restrictions and high health, safety and environmental (HSE) standards." Along with an attractive price, GEODIS' ability to coordinate all port services was a major advantage compared to competitors.

Precision Ballasting and Launch Execution

The full GEODIS Offshore Wind team was mobilized for this project, with support from the Global Engineering Director and the Global Health and Safety Manager of Project Logistics. Their combined expertise was particularly critical for the float-off operation at GPMM, where the barge was submerged so that the cargo could be floated off the deck. "We had to perform a complex ballasting sequence to ground the barge into the seabed and get sufficient stability before launching the floaters," says Nicolas. "The float-off methodology used was quite challenging but it enabled total control of the floaters at every stage of the process."

A Milestone Achievement for the GEODIS Offshore Wind Team

The ability to overcome the engineering challenges, weather restrictions and the local particularities of GPMM to successfully perform the three float-offs is a major achievement for GEODIS' Offshore Wind team. According to Pablo Ruiz, Global Engineer Offshore Wind, "It's one of the first floating wind projects where two consecutive float-offs were performed within six days, which demonstrates the viability of current models of production schedule for commercial floating wind projects".