Contracts for geotechnical and geophysical surveys for the three French offshore wind farms being developed by an EDF-led consortium will be soon be awarded, Windpower Offshore understands.
Meetings are due to take place in Paris soon between the EDF-led consortium and shortlisted companies.
The consortium developing France's fourth first tender offshore project – the 500MW Saint Brieuc offshore wind farm – has already commissioned GeoSea to undertake its geotechnical and geophysical work, while InVivo is charged with environmental impact assessment work.
It is not known whether the EDF-led consortium will award one company the task of undertaking geophysical and geotechnical surveys for all three of its offshore projects – Saint Nazaire, Fécamp and Courseulles-sur-Mer – or whether a different supplier will be employed for each wind farm. Neither is it clear whether the geophysical and geotechnical work will be bundled together with marine environmental impact assessment services.
Amongst bidders for the EDF contract(s) is a partnership between French marine survey company, Sinay, and leading UK firm, Gardline Marine Sciences. Sinay is based in Caen and has specialist skills in marine mammal assessment. Gardline has undertaken survey work for seven of the nine UK Round 3 offshore wind development zones.
