Project Overview
Makar Wind is a floating offshore wind project in France for which Grispen delivered the structural design of the floating substation, the platform that collects and steps up power from the wind array before export to shore. A floating substation must remain stable, watertight and structurally sound across its full operational life while supporting heavy electrical equipment in a dynamic marine environment.
The Engineering Challenge
Floating substation design combines naval architecture (buoyancy, stability, draft) with structural steel engineering (DNV-OS-C101) and marine operations engineering for the installation phase (DNV-ST-N001). The structure must be engineered for its full in-place operational life as well as the marine transport and installation phase, two distinct load environments requiring separate but coordinated analysis.
Grispen's Solution
Grispen's structural team delivered the in-place structural assessment of the floating substation to DNV-OS-C101 and AISC 360-16, alongside the installation phase engineering to DNV-ST-N001. This dual-phase approach, the same methodology applied on EOLMED, ensures the structure is verified for both its permanent operating condition and the temporary marine operations required to get it there.
Scope of Work Delivered
- Floating substation structural design
- In-place structural assessment (DNV-OS-C101)
- Installation phase engineering (DNV-ST-N001)
- Structural steel member sizing (AISC 360-16)
- Coordination with floating wind array design basis
Our Delivery Process
Every Grispen engineering scope, regardless of size or client, passes through the same structured five-stage delivery method, ensuring consistent quality and full traceability from kick-off to final issue.
Makar Wind is a second direct floating substation reference for Grispen, alongside EOLMED, giving our team genuine repeat experience in one of the most structurally complex elements of any floating offshore wind farm, directly relevant to deep-water floating substations now being planned off the Australian coast.