Marseille-based Ideol claims its design will be competitive with fixed foundations at depths over 35 meters.
The two-year project will allow Ideol, along with partner Bouygues Travaux Publics and research institute Iffstar, to validate the behaviour of the platform and the materials used, and test the anchorage system in a marine environment.
Bouygues will build the structure, with construction starting in January, for commissioning by next September if all goes to plan. Gamesa is supplying the 2MW turbine.
It consists of a square-ring shaped concrete floater, with a compartmented hull of about 45 metres in breadth and with a 6.4-metre draught. Mooring is applied to anchor the turbines to the seabed.
The demonstrator will be installed at the Le Croisic test site, west of St-Nazaire. The turbine and platform will be assembled at the port before being towed to the site.
The government also awarded a grant of EUR 6 million to Sea Reed, a semi-submersible floater being developed by DCNS in partnership with Alstom.
The test site was originally earmarked for the Winflo demonstrator to be installed this summer. However, this project is being reassessed and the planned test at St-Nazaire scrapped.
