French Seek UXO Investigators

France’s RTE Réseau de Transport d’Electricité has issued a tender for the investigation of potential unexploded ordnance (UXO) targets along the export cable route which will connect the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm to the grid.

The purpose of the work is to investigate with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and/or divers the potential UXO targets along the submarine cable route of 33 kilometres as identified in and modelled from a geophysical campaign.

The duration of the contract is twelve months with a possible six-month extension.

The tender will remain open until 4 October and RTE will dispatch invitations to tender or invitations to participate to selected candidates by 4 November.

In February 2017, RTE awarded Prysmian with a contract to manufacture and deliver the export cable for the Saint-Nazaire wind farm, as well as for two additional wind farms offshore France: Fécamp and Calvados.

The 480MW Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm will feature 80 Haliade 150-6MW wind turbines installed between 12 km and 20 km off the coast of the Guerande peninsula in western France. The commissioning of the wind farm is planned for 2022.

EDF Renewables and Canada’s Enbridge are developing the project through the company Eolien Maritime France (EMF).