Ortec Industrie Fos-sur-Mer powering the offshore wind revolution
Ortec Industrie Fos-sur-Mer reaffirms its expertise in complex industrial environments connected to energy transition projects. A recent example: a highly technical two-month operation carried out at Eiffage Métal’s site in Fos-sur-Mer, supporting the testing phase of floating structures designed for offshore wind turbines.
As part of its growing involvement in the renewable energy sector, the Ortec Group, through its Ortec Industrie Fos-sur-Mer branch, was commissioned by Eiffage Métal to work on the Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion offshore wind project, led by Ocean Winds (OW) and Banque des Territoires, a subsidiary of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations Group. The mission: to perform cleaning, filling and draining operations on three large steel floaters designed to support floating wind turbines. This strategic project took place during a technical testing phase prior to commissioning.
Conducted in collaboration with United Rentals, this operation was carried out in a demanding industrial environment that required close coordination and co-activity management among all stakeholders.
Tailor-made technical services
Throughout the project, the Ortec teams successfully completed several key phases, ensuring a high level of precision:
- Complete cleaning of the floaters (9 ballast tanks) to remove all manufacturing residues.
- Controlled filling of each floater with 400 m³ of water to simulate real buoyancy conditions.
- Gradual draining according to a detailed schedule validated by the client.
Significant technical constraints were also overcome thanks to the expertise of our teams: creating access points through manholes located 12 and 25 meters above ground, using hoses without connectors to ensure system integrity, maintaining constant hydraulic pressure, and implementing strict safety marking throughout the work zones.
A direct contribution to the energy transition
By ensuring the reliability of the floaters intended for offshore wind turbines, the teams helped secure a decisive stage in the development of sustainable energy solutions.
This operation broadens the agency’s expertise across the full lifecycle of the wind power sector. Ortec Industrie Fos has also developed dismantling capabilities, notably through the design and manufacture of the EOLBOX.
Once again, this project showcases the Ortec Group’s ability to mobilize its network’s expertise to deliver demanding, high-tech infrastructure projects supporting the renewable energy transition.
These floaters will be installed 17 kilometers off the coast, as part of Provence Grand Large, France’s first floating wind turbine pilot farm, operated by EDF Renewables.
