Van Oord will start the operations in 2021 with the installation of the pin piles using its offshore installation vessel Aeolus. The Aeolus will be assisted by a second vessel in 2022 to install jackets foundations that will be manufactured in Fene, Spain and in Brest, France.

The Aeolus, which was purposely built to construct offshore wind farms, was put into service in 2014. The main crane of the Aeolus has a lifting capacity of more than 1,600t, making the vessel suitable for the transport and installation of foundations and wind turbines. Its advanced jacking system with its four giant legs, each measuring 85m and weighing 1,280t, allow the Aeolus to be jacked up and work in waters of up to 45m deep.

Construction on the subsea drilling template has already started and is scheduled to be delivered Q4 2020.

Pieter van Oord, CEO Van Oord said: "Van Oord has a long history executing a variety of projects in France. The most recent example being our involvement in the various phases of the deepening the River Seine. The Saint-Brieuc project will be our first offshore wind project in France and I'm proud of our involvement. Especially since we are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Iberdrola again. By taking on this offshore wind project, we are also contributing to the EU-wide renewable energy target of 32 per cent by 2030."

The Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm is being constructed in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc in Brittany, 16.3km off the French coast. When finished, the wind farm with a total capacity of 496MW will produce 1,820GWh annually, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 835,000 inhabitants.

Javier Garcia Perez, president of Ailes Marines and international offshore business director said: "Having decided to proceed with the project, Ailes Marines is happy to sign this contract with Van Oord to transport and install the 62 jackets and the offshore substation foundation piles for the Saint-Brieuc project, that will become an important part of France's energy transition to a green economy. Given the difficult circumstances created by the pandemic crisis, we are contributing to the recovery of industrial activity in France and the rest of Europe."

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