Miros’ dry-mounted Wavex was selected by EQUANS to reliably collect operation-critical wave and current data on the offshore substation for the Saint-Brieuc Offshore Wind Farm, Iberdrola's first large-scale and flagship offshore wind power project in Brittany, France.  

Once it becomes operational in 2023, the windfarm will have a total installed capacity of 496 megawatts (MW), capable of generating enough clean energy for 835,000 people. 

The sea around the Saint-Brieuc Wind Farm is prone to intense winds and currents, as well as some of the biggest tide variations in the world generating strong currents and challenging operating conditions. 

Wavex is a virtual sensor designed for highly accurate wave and current measurements, capturing and processing sea surface backscatter data via a standard X-band marine navigation radar. Through state-of-the-art robust and adaptive algorithms, it calculates and displays directional wave and surface current data contributing to increased vessel operability, improved safety, and cost savings. 

As the Saint-Brieuc maintenance strategy relies on using surface vessels, jack-up vessels, and ROVs/UAVs maneuvering close to the foundations and cables, the maintenance work would typically be limited by current speeds as low as 1m/s. Since the site current speed exceeds 1m/s daily, Iberdrola needs to manage the working time of the vessels concerning the specific operational characteristics of those vessels. 

Emilie Dorgeville, VP Business Development Renewables & Ports at Miros AS says:
“This is an ideal project where our dry-mounted, IoT-enabled Wavex sensor will deliver at its best and showcase what it is good for - accurate, reliable ocean-monitoring, measuring local sea state conditions and making the data accessible in real-time to all stakeholders both onshore and offshore.” 

Alain Goddyn, Section Manager Department Water Section Marine at EQUANS says:
“The Wavex sensor is an addition to the meteorological system which is developed by our section and to be deployed on the Saint Brieuc substation for the measurement of the local meteorological conditions.” 

Iberdrola works together with EQUANS, which is responsible for the integration work on the substation locally in Belgium, before transporting it to the site on the North Coast of France.  

AILES MARINES is responsible for the development, construction, installation, and operation of the offshore wind farm. 

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Miros