BOA and BrestPort signed a cooperation agreement (MoU) on October 6 to collaborate on the development of floating offshore wind turbine launching methods from port facilities into open water, as well as for supporting the development of the related port infrastructures. This collaboration reflects the growing strategic importance of Brest as a hub for the floating offshore wind industry in Europe and leverages BOA’s expertise in heavy-lift marine operations.
Specifically, the agreement focuses on studying and evaluating safe, efficient, and cost-effective methods for launching floating structures, leveraging the facilities of BrestPort’s terminal dedicated to marine renewable energy and BOA’s technical resources, including the fleet of semi-submersible barges and offshore engineering expertise.
By combining BOA’s maritime know-how with BrestPort’s geographical and industrial advantages, the two partners aim to accelerate the deployment of floating wind farms in Brittany, the Atlantic, and beyond, while ensuring operational safety,efficiency, and environmental sustainability.
In addition to studying and evaluating launch solutions, this memorandum of understanding also covers:
- Exploring cost-effective and scalable launching techniques using BOA assets in floating and grounded configuration to accelerate the industrial rollout of floating offshore wind farms in the Atlantic and beyond,
- Combining BrestPort’s infrastructures and geographic advantage with BOA’s experience in heavy-lift barges, semi-submersible units, and offshore engineering to consolidate business opportunities for both companies.
“Developing robust solutions for the launching of floating wind structures is a critical step for the offshore renewable energy industry. It requires not only advanced engineering and specialized vessels, but also a port infrastructure capable of handling large components safely and efficiently. This MoU with BOA allows us to combine BrestPort’s strategic location, facilities and experience in industrial maritime operations with BOA’s fleet and offshore expertise. Together, we aim to define innovative and scalable solutions that will accelerate the deployment of floating offshore wind projects in Brittany and across Europe, while ensuring safety, efficiency, and environmental sustainability,” said Christophe Chabert, BrestPort.
“BOA are proud to support BrestPort in the development of effective and economical solutions for launching of wind turbine foundations and other heavy cargoes,based on our unique fleet of semi-submersible barges. As offshore wind drives the global shift to sustainable energy, this MOU demonstrates BOA’s commitment to enabling efficient and sustainable developments through innovative maritime solutions” said Ole T. Bjørnevik, BOA.
This MoU marks an important step in BrestPort’s strategy to become a reference site for floating offshore wind assembly and deployment, positioning Brittany as a leader in the European energy transition.
