Provence Grand Large: First turbine erected

After a long period of preliminary planning, Schmidbauer has been erecting wind towers for the Provence Grand Large wind farm in the Marseille area since June. With the erection of the first of three wind turbines, an important milestone has now been reached. Under contract from EDF Renouvables, wind turbines on floating foundations are being built in the Mediterranean for the very first time.

Provence Grand Large marks a major step forward in offshore wind power and sets new standards for the use of renewable energy on the high seas. After the first 45-meter-high floating foundation was assembled, it was launched into the water and towed by special vessels to the Gloria Quay in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône. There, Schmidbauer installed an 8.4 MW wind turbine of the latest generation under the direction of Siemens Gamesa RE. The two other wind turbines will be erected in the next few weeks. To cope with a project of this size, an LR 11350 crawler crane with PowerBoom is used, which can lift up to 1350 tons. It is supported by a CC2400-1 crawler crane, which has a lifting capacity of up to 400 tons.

International collective achievement

This large-scale project is only possible through excellent cooperation between a well-functioning team. The floating foundations were designed by SBM Offshore, the mooring system was planned and realized by SBM Offshore in cooperation with IFP Energies Nouvelles. Also involved, for example, is the Eiffage Métal group of companies in Fos-sur-Mer, which assembled the floats for the wind farm.

"The successful installation of the first turbine on their floating platform is a milestone for the project ", says Minka St. James, Head of Business Development at Schmidbauer. "Schmidbauer's commitment underlines its bilateral ambitions to proactively promote the goals of the global energy transition as a reliable partner."

In total, the three wind turbines will be installed about 17 kilometers off the coast by the end of 2023 and are expected to supply electricity for 45,000 households per year.