The operating phase of the offshore wind farm off Saint-Brieuc Bay

The operating phase of the park begins in June 2024 after the commissioning of all the wind turbines. It will continue throughout the life of the park, until its dismantling.

She understands :

• • Monitoring production as park operator;
  • There maintenance :
    • Turbines entrusted to Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy as supplier
    • Of the offshore electrical substation entrusted to Renewable Energy System
    • Other park equipment: foundations, cables, “environmental” equipment (bird radar, bird scaring system, bat tracking system, etc.) and “maritime surveillance” equipment (video protection cameras, AIS AtoN on wind turbines, VHF transmitter on the electrical substation, etc.).

• Preventive maintenance consists of intervening on the elements of the wind farm in a periodic and planned , in order to limit the risk of damage;
• Corrective maintenance is intended to resolve a specific malfunction . It can therefore be decided at any time, as soon as necessary.

The operation and maintenance base is the center for controlling operations, monitoring the fleet and managing logistics flows:

• It is initially located in Kerantour (Pleudaniel), with a cell  in Saint-Malo for the support of maintenance vessels;
• By the end of 2024, the logistics base, including the maritime coordination center (SBCC) of Kerantour will be transferred to Binic-Etables sur Mer where there will be offices and a warehouse for the storage of spare parts , tools, consumables, etc. The maritime coordination center is called SBCC, for “Saint-Brieuc Coordination Center” (Name adopted on July 1, ²⁰²⁴ );
• In a few years, the Saint-Malo unit will be transferred to Saint-Quay-Portrieux, when port infrastructure allows it. The role of the maintenance SOV will then be taken by Crew Transfer Vessels (CTV) which will perform regular rotations on site.

Due to difficult winter weather conditions, major maintenance campaigns (such as underwater inspections) are concentrated, as far as possible, between May and September. During this period, approximately five vessels work in the park. They exceptionally work at night, and their rotations at the port depend on the duration of their activity and the weather windows.

• During the first years, an “SOV” type support vessel (“Support Operation Vessel”) deploys teams of technicians every morning to the various structures in the park requiring preventive or corrective maintenance: the substation and between 2 and 6 wind turbines. are visited every day.
  This requires between 5 and 15 foundation approaches per day. At night, the SOV navigates away from the wind turbines, in “Green DP” mode (dynamic positioning reducing fuel consumption), and in one of the three zones defined by the decree in force (see diagram).
  This SOV operates on the basis of a rotation cycle of 14 days at sea. In normal operation, it returns to the dock in Saint-Malo every two weeks to ensure its refueling, its maintenance and the relief of technicians and personnel. 'crew.

• Once the construction of the Saint-Quay-Portrieux port works has been finalized, the organization put in place will be different: it will consist of using “CTV” type vessels (“Crew Transfer Vessel”) making daily round trips to the wind farm. The technicians will work on the structures for periods of 12 hours, with staff rotations ensuring a presence in the area 7 days a week.

The maritime coordination center is called SBCC, for “Saint-Brieuc Coordination Center” (Name adopted on July 1, 2024) and operates 24/7.

The maritime coordination center on land ensures control of the site at sea: ship operations, coordination meetings, monitoring of emergency interventions, control of access to the site at sea and specific equipment, control personnel entering the site and their transfers to/from a vessel, as well as personal protective equipment.

It contributes to the good circulation of information between stakeholders.

The access channels to the ports of Saint-Brieuc and Saint-Malo , located near the wind farm installation area, have been reoriented towards the north and moved away by 3 NM and 4 NM respectively.

The Grand Léjon lighthouse light has been modified to include a new red light sector representing the danger zone linked to the presence of the wind farm.

The Nautical Instructions (IN) works, the Light Books and the navigation charts produced by SHOM and covering the bay of Saint-Brieuc have included since 2022 all the nautical information useful and necessary for navigators concerning the wind field. They are regularly updated.

The park's facilities have been specifically marked: The base of each structure has been painted yellow , around its perimeter, up to 15 meters above the surface for the wind turbines, and up to 25 m in height for the underside. -electrical station.

Each wind turbine and the electrical substation have identification panels placed around the foundations and visible 360°. The black letters and numbers with a height of 1 m on a yellow background guarantee good visibility. Each identification panel is backlit.

Maritime buoyage is only placed on peripheral structures of two types:

• Significant peripheral structures (SPS);
• Intermediate peripheral structures ( IPS):

The other wind turbines therefore do not have any specific maritime signaling lights. But an aerial fire is visible on all the wind turbines.

• Navigation prohibited around 50 m from wind turbines and 200 m around the substation;
• Underwater navigation and navigation using aerotracted or towed devices prohibited;
• Anchorage prohibited;
• Nautical events prohibited;
• Practice of any underwater activity prohibited;
• Speed ​​limited to 12 knots;
• AIS mandatory for transmission and reception unless specific conditions specified in the decree;
• Navigation of passenger ships subject to authorization procedure from the maritime prefecture involving in particular knowing in advance the routes on site;
• Vessels with an overall length greater than 25 m prohibited in the park;
• Vessels of more than 500 UMS prohibited within 2 NM of the park;
• Vessels between 25m and 50m will be able to approach within 1 NM of the park;
• Vessels working for the operator are favored in their maneuvers (marks of maneuvering capabilities at a position in the mast);
• Regulations on dormant arts and trailing arts in areas provided for these activities;
• Ban on placing buoys in a zone of 150 meters around the turbines;
• Professional diving studied on a case-by-case basis by the maritime prefecture.

Since the end of the construction of the wind farm, Ailes Marines has endeavored to continue its approach to environmental measures while constantly maintaining its objective of monitoring and limiting the impact of the operation of the park on the environment which hosts it.

These measures concern marine mammals, fisheries resources, benthic macrofauna, birds, bats, water quality, sediment quality, etc.

The offices and harbor offices of the ports of the Bay of Saint-Brieuc post the orders in force concerning the wind farm.

Any malfunction of installations linked to maritime safety (Signal lights, AIS AtoN, etc.) are the subject of information to the competent State services which issue, if they deem it necessary, an Urgent Notice to Mariners ( AVURNAV ) or a Notice to Mariners ( AVINAV ). These elements are available on the Maritime Prefecture website by following the links below:

https://www.premar-atlantique.gouv.fr/avis-urgents-aux-navigateurs

https://www.premar-atlantique.gouv.fr/avis-aux-navigateurs

An information platform is made available to sea users by Ailes Marines . It provides updated information on restricted areas, the real-time position of Ailes Ailes Marines , the positions of current and upcoming maintenance, as well as the positioning of displaced rock blocks. This platform is accessible via the site:

• During the first years, in the absence of port infrastructure in Saint-Quay-Portrieux, a support vessel of the “SOV” type (“Support Operation Vessel”) was used throughout the year on the wind farm in order to ensure preventive maintenance but also some corrective maintenance of the wind turbines and the electrical substation. This SOV operates on the basis of a rotation cycle of 14 days at sea. In normal operation, it returns to the dock in Saint-Malo every two weeks to ensure its refueling, its maintenance and the relief of technicians and personnel. 'crew.
• In order to optimize team transfer time, the SOV is equipped with an annex called “ daughter-craft ”. Weather permitting, the “daughter-craft” can be launched by the SOV to disembark teams on the turbines but also to ensure occasional transfers between land and the SOV.
• Once the construction of the port works is finalized in Saint-Quay-Portrieux , the SOV will give way to “CTV” type vessels (“Crew Transfer Vessel”) making daily round trips to the wind farm to transfer personnel.

• Ships present throughout the year:
• A “SOV” type support vessel (“Support Operation Vessel”) and its technical annex named “ daughter-craft » operating in the first years.
• CTVs (Crew Transfer Vessel) will take over in a few years

• Vessels present occasionally

• Ships hydrographic for inspection of submerged foundations and seabeds 
• Ships Jack-up (“JUV”) for the maintenance of heavy components requiring dismantling of structures (in the event that on-site repair is not possible) 
• Ships of laying cables for replacing a section of cable, or even the entire cable, in the event of damage 
• Seabed preparation vessels which will be required to remove rocks, add riprap, to allow the intervention of the “JUV” (need for suitable seabeds to place their “feet”)

Certain major interventions may require the establishment of a zone prohibited for navigation, in order to avoid co-activities. This will be formalized by the publication of a dedicated order from the Maritime Prefect.