Wind

Checked-over offshore wind installer back to work for Iberdrola off France

Van Oord Aeolus turbine installation vessel suffered hydraulic fluid leak while drilling-in piles at 496MW Saint-Brieuc project

. Van Oord Aeolus
. Van Oord AeolusFoto: Van Oord
Marine contractor Van Oord’s Aeolus wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) is back on assignment at the Saint-Brieuc project off France, after being taken out of service following a hydraulic fluid leak that occurred while it was carrying out foundation installation work at the site.

Developer consortium Ailes Marines, led by Spanish utility Iberdrola, said “a complete review of the vessel's tools and equipment [as well as all of the work control and monitoring protocols had been reassessed” after some 100 litres of the lubricant was released into the Bay of Saint-Brieuc.

The Aeolus was installing jacket foundation piles for the 496MW wind farm, where soil conditions require piles be drilled-in rather than hammered, as is generally the case.

“After the incident, Van Oord's technical teams carried out a complete check of the vessel. All tools, including the jig, have been thoroughly checked,” said Ailes Marines. “These reviews made it possible to make changes to significantly improve their performance.

“The measures implemented were tested by Van Oord during two tests in early July, one on land and the other at sea, in the port of Rotterdam [in the Netherlands]. Both tests have given complete satisfaction.

“The work control and monitoring protocols have also been strengthened, by the permanent presence on site of the TSM Penzer vessel, which will be equipped with additional anti-pollution means,” it added.

Ailes Marines said it had also decided to “re-evaluate all the environmental incident alert thresholds for drilling work upwards”.

The developer underlined that the electronic safety system on the jack-up unit for the drilling had detected the “sudden” leak and that the hydraulic fluid released was biodegradable, “having a low impact on the environment”.

Ailes Marines added that it had signed an agreement with France’s Centre of Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution to lay out a framework for the “prevention aspects of pollution response – strengthening of procedures, planning, exercises”.

The €2.4bn ($2.9bn) Saint-Brieuc project, among the first wind farms to be built off France, has suffered numerous set-backs since the long-delayed development got underway, with fishing vessels in May laying siege to project to protest its impact on local scallop sector.
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Published 16 July 2021, 14:31Updated 20 October 2023, 15:45
FranceEuropeOffshoreIberdrolaVan Oord