Bouygues acquires offshore wind floating foundation technology

Bouygues has described the technology as innovative and being key to "reducing the carbon footprint of wind farm infrastructure and lowering operating and maintenance costs".

The OO-Star is a patented semi-submersible wind turbine foundation concept, originally developed by Norwegian structural and marine consultancy Olav Olsen. The technology consists of a central shaft supporting the wind turbine generator and a pontoon with three legs supporting three buoyancy cylinders for enhanced stability.

According to Olav Olsen, the structure is well suited for modular fabrication. The consultancy added that the substructure can float with a very small draft and the unit can be fully assembled at quay-side before tow to site. There are no requirements for deep water at the assembly site.

“The hydrodynamic and structural behaviour of the foundation guarantees an optimal performance of the turbine and a high durability of the structure, allowing for greater efficiency,” said Bouygues Travaux Publics.

Bouygues Travaux Publics and Olav Olsen will combine their engineering and construction expertise to optimise the design and implementation process of this technology, with the aim of providing a competitive solution for the floating offshore wind market.

“The semi-submersible concrete foundations will be mass-produced in a timely and cost-effective manner,” said the technology’s new owner.

Bouygues Travaux Publics CEO Philippe Amequin commented: “This acquisition reflects our ambition in the wind energy sector and confirms our commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of its activities. This technology investment is an important step, as it gives us a significant technological advance to accompany the market more quickly in the necessary environmental transformation process.”

The UK could be a good market for OO-Star, as the country has set a target for a four-fold increase in offshore renewable energy by 2030. A study from Offshore Energies UK, published earlier this month, found that the UK’s new government must double or even triple the rate of offshore wind turbine installations to meet that target.

The UK’s Prime minister Liz Truss has pledged to ramp up renewable and nuclear energy generation, with the aim of tackling the current energy crisis and ensuring the UK is a net energy exporter by 2040.

The government has also shown its support to the floating offshore wind market, having launched the £160M Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme. In May, Tim Pick was appointed to spearhead the scheme.

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