Bottom fixed offshore wind

Bottom-fixed offshore wind concerns wind turbines that are located offshore and assembled on fixed foundations in shallow waters. Offshore wind turbines operate on the same principle as onshore wind turbine: its use the kinetic energy of the wind to transform it into mechanical energy then into electricity via an electric generator. Offshore wind turbines must withstand severe marine conditions because of their offshore location. Offshore wind turbines are installed in wind farms or wind parks with between 20 and 120 wind turbines of several megawatts of rated unit capacity (more than 10 MW for new-generation turbines). The installed wind turbine involves farms installed to depths of around 50m.

At the end of 2019 Europe has an installed bottom-fixed offshore wind capacity of 22.1GW with more than 5000 connected wind turbines spread over 110 farms across twelve European countries. The UK has the largest installed capacity (44%) followed by y Germany (34%). These two countries, together with Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium, will host 98% of the European installations by 2020. Mainly installed in the North Sea, these farms enjoy advantageous soil characteristics and very favorable wind conditions. France is expected to commission its first 480MW wind farm in 2022 on the Guérande bank and aims in its multiannual energy plan to deploy 6.2 GW of offshore wind turbines by 2028. In 2019, the consortium EDF Renewables/Innogy/Enbridge was selected for the construction and operation of the wind farm off Dunkirk at a record price of €44/MWh.

WEAMEC has selected 50 research projects related to offshore wind and has accompanied his members in 15 new European innovation projects. Finally, stakeholders from the Pays de la Loire Region deliver more than 80 initial trainings as well as continuous training from operator to engineer covering all the skills useful to the development of the offshore wind sector.

WEAMEC continuous training, operated by Centrale Nantes and the University of Nantes, is intended for those whose, established in the renewable marine energy market, wish to improve their skills, as well as those whose wish to retrain and enter this emerging sector of the offshore wind power. This unique training at the French level has been in operation since 2016.