Asso.subsea completes Fécamp inter-array cable work offshore France

Asso.subsea has completed the inter-array cable installation and protection operations for the 500 MW Fécamp wind farm offshore Normandy, France.

Asso.subsea was contracted by Italy-headquartered Prysmian Group to execute the seabed preparation, installation, and protection works, involving four different vessels and various subsea tools.

According to the company, the project was characterized by very hard soils and demanding burial requirements, so it designed and built a new trenching vehicle, the AssoTrencher IV Mk13 with an innovative approach to enhance backfilling capabilities.

The tool performed more than 100 kilometers of backfilling re-utilizing the previously excavated material, thus providing a more unique environmentally sustainable solution for seabed reinstatement operations, said Asso.subsea.

The firm also utilised its recently converted cable-laying vessel (CLV) Ariadne and the trenching support vessels Athena and Argo, both equipped with the latest version of the AssoTrencher IV burial tools.

“This important project marks a significant milestone for Asso.subsea, being the first inter-array project that the company has ever executed,” said Dimitris Panagos, Director of Offshore Wind Projects at Asso.subsea.

“As a one–stop-shop service provider for offshore activities, we have successfully installed and protected a total of 71 cables, being responsible for loading, transportation, installation, protection and backfilling of more than 118km of submarine cables, offering our expertise and extended ability to execute an extremely complex project, thanks to a full vertically-integrated solution.”

Aside from being responsible for the supply of inter-array and export cables for the Fécamp offshore wind farm, Prysmian Group is also in charge of providing inspection, maintenance, and repair services for the export cables connecting Saint-Nazaire, Fécamp, and Calvados offshore wind farms to land.

The Fécamp offshore wind farm will feature 71 Siemens Gamesa SWT-7.0-154 wind turbines with the first unit being installed in July this year. That same month, the 500 MW offshore wind farm started producing its first power.

The project is being jointly developed by Eolien Maritime France (EMF), a joint venture between the French company EDF Renouvelables; EIH S.à.rl, owned by Enbridge Inc. and CPP Investments; and Skyborn Renewables (formerly wpd offshore).