BigLift Shipping transported 38 jacket foundations from El Ferrol, Spain to Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel Aeolus in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc for the Saint-Brieuc offshore windfarm, 16.3 kilometres off the coast of Brittany.

BigLIft Shipping tagged its heavy transport vessel BigLift Baffin for the job. Between June 4 and October 5, the vessel executed ten shipments, carrying the jacket foundations on deck; eight trips with four and two with three pieces. The three-legged jackets are 70 metres high and each weighs approximately 1,100 mt. The jackets were lifted and seafastened onto purpose-built quick-release systems to minimise the time during the lifting operation in the field.

Out at sea, the jackets were discharged by Van Oord’s Aeolus while Biglift Baffin stayed in position using its DP2 system. This was the first project where BigLift Baffin deployed its DP2 configuration.

The area near the Channel Islands is renowned for its large tidal range, meaning the DP system must counteract high current speeds. Furthermore, due to the height of the jackets, the vessel experienced large windage on top of the high current. Despite the extremely challenging conditions, the DP system performed excellently.

Saint-Brieuc wind farm

The Saint-Brieuc wind farm is being developed by Ailes Marines, wholly owned by the energy company Iberdrola, and is the first wind farm in France equipped with jacket foundations. It contains 62 wind turbines that will generate 496 megawatts of clean energy for 835,000 people.