IN OPERATION SINCE 2018

BW Ideol's first floater in operation

Built around a European consortium of 7 partners, Floatgen is a 2MW floating wind turbine demonstrator installed off the coast of Le Croisic on the offshore experimentation site of the Ecole Centrale de Nantes (SEM-REV). This project is being supported by the European Union as part of the FP7 programme.  Floatgen is France's first offshore wind turbine. 5 000 inhabitants are supplied with its electricity.

INNOVATION AT ALL LEVELS

• BW Ideol’s patented Damping Pool ® floating foundation (36 square meters, draught of 7.5 meters), the world’s first floating barge designed for offshore wind
• Innovate concrete and construction methods developed by Bouygues Travaux Publics
• An international offshore facility operated by Centrale Nantes, SEM-REV, the first European multiple MRE technology sea site connected to the grid
• 6 synthetic fiber (nylon) mooring lines, a world first for a permanent mooring system of this size

THE HIGHEST LOCAL CONTENT OF ANY FLOATING WIND TURBINE

In comparison to other steel floating foundations, which are imported from abroad, the use of concrete for BW Ideol's floating foundation allows the construction to be located as close as possible to the deployment site. Construction at the Saint-Nazaire port was therefore a natural and optimal solution and has created a lot of local content. Additionally, the mooring system was manufactured by LeBéon Manufacturing in Brittany. For the majority of all other components or logistical activities, the Floatgen partners have also opted for suppliers within the Saint-Nazaire region.

70 direct jobs created at the height of the project for the floating foundation construction in Saint-Nazaire, 20M€ in orders placed with French suppliers, 80% of Tier 1 suppliers are French  

Watch here the local benefits of the Floatgen project

BW IDEOL'S SCOPE OF WORK 

As project coordinator, BW Ideol is responsible for the design and engineering of the foundation as well as the subsequent construction, installation and operation & maintenance of the demonstrator equipped with a 2MW wind turbine off the coast of Le Croisic.  

SCHEDULE 

• Construction at Saint-Nazaire harbour : 2016-2017
• Inauguration and baptism : 13rd October 2017
• Commissioning : mid-2018

PERSPECTIVES 

As the first demonstration unit for BW Ideol's floating technology, it has provided, and will continue to provide, the consortium partners with an unparalleled experience, particularly in terms of construction methods, deployment, and operation, in addition to its value as a showcase model for future export.

OPERATIONAL RESULTS

Floatgen's operations, originally scheduled for 5 years, are able to be extended for an additional 5 years. 

After exceeding expectations in 2019, the Floatgen wind turbine has set a new record in 2020 by producing 6.8 GWh, for a total of 12.8 GWh in two years. At end of January 2024, the wind turbine has produced a total of 30 GWh. 
Moreover, a new capacity factor record was reached in February 2020 with more than 66%.
The wind turbine faced very challenging weather conditions, with maximum wave heights of nearly 11 meters in February 2020. Floatgen's remarkable availability, averaged 92.18% between January 2021 and January 2024. December 2023 stands out with a monthly production record of 922.026 MWh and a 61.96% capacity factor.

The excellent performance and seakeeping performance of BW Ideol's patented Damping Pool® technology are thus once again confirmed. 

In 2021, Centrale Nantes published its first environmental report regarding Floatgen. This report covers several fields from physics (underwater acoustics, electromagnetic fields, temperature) to biology (marine mammals, benthic communities, avifauna, etc.) during installation and operation phases. The conclusions are rather clear : no strong effect or impact was identified in relation to the marine environment and no environmental incidents or pollution have occurred during the construction, operation and maintenance phases.