FLOATGEN – Design and Construction of the First Floating Wind Turbine in France

<p>FLOATGEN is France’s first 2 MW offshore floating turbine which will be located off Le Croisic, in Brittany. The turbine will be operated for a period of two years and the generated electricity will be fed into the national power grid. The floating foundation used for FLOATGEN is a patented square ring-shaped foundation system, open in its centre and known as the Damping Pool®; it will provide optimal stability at low cost. This floating foundation is held on-site by means of a mooring system consisting of double mooring lines at the front and double mooring lines on each side at the rear. The floating pontoon is a C55/67 self-compacting light concrete that is reinforced and prestressed. The structure has been built in the Saint-Nazaire harbour on three connected floating barges. The paper describes the main research, design and erection issues, as well as the launching process and the installation of the wind tower.</p>