RTE (Réseau de Transport d’Electricité), the EDF subsidiary responsible for the French national grid, including the connections to offshore wind farms, has just launched a tender to select the companies that will perform the necessary electrical work at sea.
As its name suggests, RTE is the EDF subsidiary which manages the grid which transports electricity, and is the only company which transports energy at high and very high tension in France. The company is at the frontline of the effort to connect offshore wind farms, particularly the one planned at Saint-Nazaire.
A delicate mission at sea
The newly-launched tender has the goal of “the provision of marine maintenance of the connection works”. Divided into two lots, only companies with a turnover greater than €24m. in at least one of the three previous years are eligible to bid. The bids must be submitted by 1500h on 4 January.
Repairs and inspection
The winner of the first lot must provide RTE with sites for the storage of cables and equipment, as well as the vessels and maritime expertise which will enable the preventative and corrective work necessary for subsea cables (lot 1). RTE also wishes to establish a contract for the supply and fitting of accessory equipment (transition joints and terminations) for the submarine cables (lot 2).
