ABS Greenlights French Developer’s Concrete Floating Wind Foundation

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has issued Approval in Principle (AiP) to the OO-STAR concrete semi-submersible foundation for floating wind turbines from Bouygues Travaux Publics, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction.

The floater can support wind turbines of more than 20 MW in harsh offshore environments, according to Bouygues Construction.

The achievement market the first step in the company’s deployment in the U.S. floating wind market as an EPCI (engineering, procurement, construction, installation) contractor with the OO-STAR concept.

The OO-STAR floater, which includes a mooring system and general outfitting, was designed according to a database of wind and metocean patterns, both for a test site in the North Sea and to accommodate a turbine of over 20 MW.

The AiP confirms that the proposed semi-submersible solution is not only feasible, but also compliant with the requirements of ABS rules and standards, while validating the safety of the design.

The approval also clears the path for further project certification through the rollout of a 1:1 scale prototype or a pre-commercial project.

“The AiP issued by ABS is significant for us as it marks the first step in certifying a credible design, fit for construction and industrialization. Calling on our recent experience of mass producing the 71 concrete gravity-based structures on the Fécamp wind farm, we are working hard on the design of lean and efficient production lines aimed at securing the delivery of OO-STAR floaters at an industrial scale and at a pace compatible with cost-efficient project execution plans,” said Bertrand Burtschell, CEO of Bouygues Travaux Publics.