Fugro has completed a positioning support contract for Bourbon Subsea Services (Bourbon) to help install the three units of the WindFloat Atlantic semi-submersible floating wind farm.

Located 20 km from Viana do Castelo on the west coast of Portugal, and in water depths of 100 m, this cutting-edge floating offshore wind farm comprises three 8.4 MW turbines that will have a total installed capacity of 25 MW.

Having already worked with Bourbon to install the a 2 MW WindFloat unit in Scotland 2 years ago, Fugro applied their experience in oil and gas drill-rig moves, and expertise in precise satellite positioning, to support Bourbon’s towing and positioning of the final floating wind turbine to the pre-installed anchor lines. Fugro also developed and fitted a customised remote positioning system, powered by a combination of solar and wind, to the floating turbine, which allowed a real-time connection to the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and support vessel. Finally, they supported Bourbon‘s installation of the inter-array cables (IACs) by performing touchdown monitoring (TDM) and consulted on video and positioning data acquired via Bourbon’s ROV and vessel spread.

Alastair McKie, Fugro’s Director for Positioning and Construction Support in Europe and Africa, said: “This project with Bourbon, led by Windplus, demonstrates the crucial role Fugro plays in helping our clients to deliver vital renewable infrastructure in a safe and responsible way. Our cross-industry expertise assisted Bourbon in positioning this floating wind farm and supporting our client’s energy ambitions for a safe and liveable world.”