French Floating Wind O&M Contract Won by Principle Power

Floating offshore wind specialist Principle Power has secured the operations and maintenance (O&M) support contract for the 30MW Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL) project in the French Mediterranean, which is operated by Ocean Winds.

The agreement covers the project’s three WindFloat floating foundations, each supporting a 10MW Vestas turbine. Together, the turbines represent the most powerful wind turbines currently operating on floating foundations.

The EFGL project is the latest deployment of WindFloat technology in France and is expected to support the continued growth of commercial-scale floating offshore wind projects both in France and in international markets, including the United Kingdom and South Korea.

Under the contract, Principle Power will provide integrated operations and maintenance services for the floating foundations. These services include inspections, maintenance and repair work, remote monitoring, engineering support, and data analysis for the project owner.

To enhance asset management, the company will use its newly developed Asset Hub platform, which provides real-time remote monitoring and automated operational insights to support faster and more informed decision-making.

Daily operations will be carried out from the project’s O&M base at Port-La Nouvelle in southern France. Ocean Winds currently employs six local personnel to maintain the floating platforms and related equipment while working alongside Vestas, which is responsible for turbine inspections and maintenance.

To support the project, Principle Power has expanded its local operations and maintenance team, further strengthening its presence in France, where nearly 30% of the company’s global workforce is now based.

During the EFGL design phase, Principle Power’s experience across our operating WindFloat projects informed numerical predictions, maintenance strategies, and operational methodologies. Now, the project’s operational learnings will help inform the fourth generation, fully industrialised WindFloat technologies,” said Clara de Moura Santos, VP of operation and maintenance at Principle Power.