[EN IMAGES] The cable of the future Calvados wind farm connected to the coast by a spectacular construction site

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Spectacular construction site in front of Bernières sur Mer from Saturday May 21 until Monday May 23. Taking advantage of a good window of weather and tides, RTE (Electricity transmission network) teams unrolled a gigantic cable several kilometers long at sea which will connect the future Calvados offshore wind farm to the coast. Park which will enter service in 2024.

Two 15 km cables are stored on this cable ship, wrapped around a giant reel, which will unwind as the connection work progresses. © Radio France
– Esteban Pinel

An important step for this project: connecting land and sea. The operation mobilized around twenty ships and 150 people in front of Courseulles and Bernières-sur-Mer.

The cable comes out of the cable ship surrounded by buoys to float it to the entrance of a sleeve passing it under the beach.
The cable comes out of the cable ship surrounded by buoys to float it to the entrance of a sleeve passing it under the beach. © Radio France
– Esteban Pinel

This is the first time in Europe that an unwinding of submarine cable of this type is carried out so far from the coast, just over 3 km from the shore. Concretely, the cable comes out of the ship, pulled by a winch ashore, floats up to the entry of a sheath, the gateway to the land installations. The buoys holding the cable are removed and divers ensure that it enters this kind of tube leading it to the coast.

The operation's command platform. The cable passes through it, to guide it.
The operation’s command platform. The cable passes through it, to guide it. © Radio France
– Esteban Pinel

The cable ship will continue to unroll the equipment which, now connected, will be deposited on the seabed in a trench dug for this purpose. Eight kilometers of trenches have already been made by an underwater robot. There are still seven to reach the location of the future power station and its 64 wind turbines.

The Normand Pacific (in orange) equipped with two underwater robots that dig trenches. The site is protected by launches which provide surveillance and prevent unauthorized boats from entering the area.
The Normand Pacific (in orange) equipped with two underwater robots that dig trenches. The site is protected by launches which provide surveillance and prevent unauthorized boats from entering the area. © Radio France
– Esteban Pinel

The connection operation will probably be renewed between June 7 and 10 to unroll the second cable needed to operate the future park.


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