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Second Saint Brieuc spill sees Aeolus re-suspended

By: James Bernthal-Hooker 29/07/2021 4C Offshore

General Vessels Windfarms

The vessel Aeolus has been suspended following a second incident during technical drilling for the Saint Brieuc offshore wind farm in France.

The incident was reported to the Regional Operational Centre for Surveillance and Rescue (CROSS) in Corsen by Aeolus’ captain before 8am on Wednesday 28^th July. The captain is said to have reported that one of the vessel’s three drills had suffered a technical incident and that ‘a few dozen’ litres of HLP SYNTH 46 hydraulic fluid were spilt onto the deck and into the sea.

The wind farm’s developer Ailes Marines quickly implemented several anti-pollution measures, dispatching surveillance vessels to sea, where no visible pollution was observed. Work from the vessel has been suspended, pending an analysis of the incident, its cause, and corrective measures taken as a result. The maritime prosecutor’s office sent a team of investigators abord Aeolus on Wednesday afternoon to carry out initial investigations. The waters around where the incident happened are being monitored for 24 hours.

This is the second oil leak from Aeolus in as many months. Van Oord previously announced a leak back in June. The vessel left the site on 14 June, following an incident during drilling which led to the leak of hydraulic fluid into the sea. The incident resulted in the release of PANOLIN HLP SYNTH hydraulic fluid, for 48 hours after the incident. It is estimated that 170 litres leaked into the water. The vessel started work again on 16^th July.

PANOLIN is classified in the category of ‘readily biodegradable fluids’, according to the criteria international standards 301B, with low environmental impact.

The 496 MW Saint-Brieuc wind farm, 16 km off the French coast, will feature 62 Siemens Gamesa SG 8.0-167 DD turbines, standing at 207 metres high. It is being developed by Ailes Marines, subsidiary of Spanish energy giant Iberdrola. Covering an area of 75km2 the project will be the first large-scale offshore wind farm in Brittany and, when operational in 2023, it will be capable of generating 1,820 GWh/year of electricity, expected to meet the demands of 835,000 people.

To view projects on 4C Offshore's interactive map, click here.

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Second Saint Brieuc spill sees Aeolus re-suspended

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