Unique Project Proves Bourbon not Limited to Offshore Oil and Gas

BOURBON this week demonstrated that its range of services is not limited to the offshore oil and gas industry, successfully installing an innovative wind turbine structure off the coast of Portugal.

In perfect conditions, BOURBON installed a semi-submersible wind turbine with a WindFloat foundation, an innovative technology enabling the wind turbine to be assembled onshore with standard turbines and then towed and anchored at sea. The unique project is led by the Portuguese utility EDP and designed by the US technology developer Principle Power.

The successful installation shows Bourbon’s diversification into offshore wind industry, a push outlined in the group’s expansion policy plan.

“The high level of BOURBON employees’ expertise allowed for the successful deployment of each step of the project : engineering and management, mooring system installation and pre-tensioning, WindFloat towing and on-site mooring, subsea installation and power connection,” explains Eric VerriÃ¨re, Managing Director of Bourbon Offshore Surf, BOURBON’s French subsidiary.

The operations were performed by Bourbon Liberty 228, an Anchor Handling Tug Supply vessel (AHTS) from the BOURBON fleet. They demonstrate BOURBON’s fleet adaptability and confirm the group’s capacity to meet specific client needs outside oil and gas.

“As of June 2010, BOURBON has been operating in offshore wind with the Bourbon Enterprise” says Patrick Belenfant, Senior Vice-President Business Management, Bourbon Subsea Services. “This IMR vessel (dedicated to Inspection, Maintenance and Repair of subsea infrastructures) first intervened on the Greater Gabbard Wind Farm, one of the biggest offshore installation projects off the South-East coast of England, before joining the BARD Offshore 1 field off Germany and ensuring operations until October 2011.”