Specific skills in the MRE field

The multi-disciplinary nature and expertise of the teams

Ideol’s engineers have expertise in the following fields :

  • Naval architecture
  • Structure (finite element analysis, global and detailed FEA models, dynamic load analysis, vibration analysis, fatigue analysis)
  • Hydrodynamics (sea-keeping, anchoring, configuration of dynamic electrical cables)
  • Mechanics (design of the connectors)
  • Aero-hydrodynamic coupling (wind turbine, mast, floater and anchoring)
  • Tank tests
  • Purchase of main components
  • Offshore construction and installation methods (installation of mooring systems, installation procedures, selection/availability of the vessel, design of materials and equipment, operability, position control)
  • Risk assessment (HAZID, AMDEC, etc.)

These different disciplines can be applied to design, detail or construction engineering for the marine renewable energy market.

Ideol, a key player in the offshore wind project’s value chain

Ideol is establishing itself as a supplier-manufacturer of the “foundation system”  in partnership with recognized leaders in their fields.

Ideol’s main scope and expertise revolves around the basic and detailed design of the floating substructure and its mooring system, the supplying of the mooring system components, the monitoring of construction and offshore installation operations (laying and testing of mooring systems, towing of the floater, hook-up of the floater to the mooring lines and umbilical).

Stringent quality and safety management procedures

Thanks to its Management system and through continuous improvement, Ideol guarantees the integration of high Quality, Health, Safety and Environment standards into its delivery of products and services.

Ideol Management System is ISO 9001 v2015 certified since 2017.

Ideol’s management team’s leadership and commitment towards Quality and Safety are set by its Management System policy.

Products or services in MRE

FLOATGEN: Ideol’s first floater in operation

Built around a European consortium of 7 partners, Floatgen is a 2MW floating wind turbine demonstrator installed off the coast of Le Croisic on the offshore experimentation site of the Ecole Centrale de Nantes (SEM-REV). This project is being supported by the European Union as part of the FP7 programme.  Floatgen is France’s first offshore wind turbine. 5 000 inhabitants are supplied with its electricity.

INNOVATION AT ALL LEVELS

  • Ideol’s patented Damping Pool ® floating foundation (36 square meters, draught of 7.5 meters), the world’s first floating barge designed for offshore wind
  • Innovate concrete and construction methods developed by Bouygues Travaux Publics
  • An international offshore facility operated by Centrale Nantes, SEM-REV, the first European multiple MRE technology sea site connected to the grid
  • 6 synthetic fiber (nylon) mooring lines, a world first for a permanent mooring system of this size

THE HIGHEST LOCAL CONTENT OF ANY FLOATING WIND TURBINE

In comparison to other steel floating foundations, which are imported from abroad, the use of concrete for Ideol’s floating foundation allows the construction to be located as close as possible to the deployment site. Construction at the Saint-Nazaire port was therefore a natural and optimal solution and has created a lot of local content. Additionally, the mooring system was manufactured by LeBéon Manufacturing in Brittany. For the majority of all other components or logistical activities, the Floatgen partners have also opted for suppliers within the Saint-Nazaire region.

Read more about FLOATGEN

 

HIBIKI

For Japan, a country in the throes of redefining its energy mix following the Fukushima disaster, the construction and installation of floating wind farms is becoming a strategic requirement. Reducing the cost of floating technology by 2020 is one of the priorities of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The signing of the partnership agreement between Hitz and Ideol reflects this dynamic. In this regard, NEDO has launched a call for tenders to test different floating technologies.

Objectives :

To validate a floating technology with a view to equipping future commercial floating farms that the Japanese want to see installed by 2030.

Ideol’s scope of work :

The NEDO consortium has been built around Ideol’s floating technology, which has been identified as the best among cost-cutting technologies. Within the context of this project, Ideol has been responsible (on behalf of its partner, Hitachi Zosen) for the design and engineering of the two foundations (one in steel and the other in concrete) as well as the support of the construction/installation of one demonstrator.

 

EOLMED

Construction : 2020-2021

Within the frame of a call for project, the French Government has selected Eolmed, the consortium assembled around Ideol’s floating technology, for the development and construction of a 24MW Mediterranean offshore wind farm (4 wind turbines) 15 km off the coastal town of Gruissan.

The consortium is led by the French renewable energy developer Quadran Energies Marines and includes Ideol and its Damping Pool concrete floater, the civil engineering leader Bouygues Travaux Publics and the wind turbine manufacturer Senvion.

The commissioning of the wind farm is expected by 2020, creating an estimated 300 local jobs throughout the development, construction and offshore installation phases.

> Read more about EOLMED: https://www.eolmed.fr/