JDR wins Leucate Floating Offshore wind project in France

Located off the coast of the Leucate-Le Barcarès area, the demonstration floating wind farm will feature three V164-10.0 MW wind turbines, in water depths of 65 to 80 metres. JDR will design and manufacture the dynamic and static cables to connect the floating turbines to the shore, where they will connect to a grid at Saint-Laurent de la Salanque. SDI will undertake the overall delivery and installation of the cables provided by JDR.

JDR’s ‘wet design’ 66kV cable removes the need for a lead radial water barrier – the component most susceptible to dynamic fatigue due to the movement of a floating turbine. In addition, the specially designed breakaway system will then protect the floating platform in the unlikely event of a mooring line failure in harsh weather conditions.

Wojtek Skoczylas, CSO at JDR Cables, commented: “The floating offshore wind market is accelerating at a rapid pace. As waters get deeper, innovations in 66kV dynamic cables like ours will be required to meet demand. It’s an exciting time for the industry and subsea cable technology! We’re delighted to have won this project and to be again working in close partnership with the DEME group, having collaborated on many previous projects.”

The cables will be manufactured at JDR’s state-of-the-art facility in Hartlepool, UK in 2022 before being shipped to France for installation in 2022.

The contract comes as part of France’s target to have up to 12.4 GW of fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind capacity either in operation or under development by the end of 2028.