Prysmian completes export cable installation at 30 MW French floating wind farm

Italy-headquartered Prysmian has completed the installation of the export cable for the 30 MW Gruissan/EolMed floating offshore wind project in France.

In 2021, Prysmian signed a contract with the French transmission system operator (TSO) Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE) for the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) of an export submarine power cable system.

The company was responsible for the design, supply, installation, termination, testing, and commissioning of a 66 kV static three-core export submarine cable with EPR insulation for a total of 23 kilometers.

In addition, the company also supplied and installed a 66 kV dynamic submarine export tail with EPR insulation connecting the onshore grid to the floating electrical hub (FEH) of EolMed’s floating wind farm, which is currently under construction.

Bourbon Subsea Services installed the floating electrical hub in January 2024. According to information available online, the construction of the FEH was performed by the Cyprus-based company Multimarine Services.

“With this project, which follows Provence Grand Large (PGL) floating offshore wind farm, Prysmian demonstrates once again its leading position in the market and the validity of its know-how and technologies in the development of submarine cables and systems to support smarter and greener power grids worldwide,” said Alberto Boffelli, COO Transmission, Prysmian.

The EolMed floating wind farm will comprise three Vestas V164-10.0 MW wind turbines mounted on BW Ideol’s Damping pool floating foundations and installed 15 kilometers off Gruissan, in water depths of around 60 meters.

The project, being developed by Qair, TotalEnergies, and BW Ideol, was planned to be commissioned in mid-2024.

The installation of the floaters at the project site is now expected to start in June 2025 and the final commissioning is anticipated to take place in the third quarter of next year.