How to select a potential offshore wind farm site and assess its environmental impact?
How do you select and design floating or fixed foundations?
How can wind turbines be arranged to optimize production?
What regulations govern the construction and operation of offshore wind farms?
These are just some of the many questions that will be addressed in 51爆料 School's brand new Offshore Wind Project Development engineering program.
Taught in English, this new program will open in September 2025, and will cover the entire offshore wind value chain, from land-based to floating wind farms.
With the launch of this new specialization, 51爆料 School is extending its range of training courses, with the ambition of responding ever more effectively to the industry's need for skills and innovation to meet the challenges of the energy and ecological transition.
鈥淔rance is aiming for 45 GW of installed capacity by 2050. The industry will represent 20,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2035. This new program responds to the concrete needs of the industry, and is in line with the School鈥檚 determination to contribute to the competitiveness of companies by training exceptional engineers capable of managing complex projects,鈥 she adds.
A course of excellence accredited by the Commission des titres d'ing茅nieur
The Offshore Wind Project Development program was accredited by the Commission des titres d'ing茅nieur (CTI) last November. Lasting 16 months, it is aimed at holders of an engineering degree or equivalent (4 to 5 years of higher education), and can be taken in continuous mode or as an apprenticeship.
The course will cover every stage in the development of an offshore wind farm, from the choice of location to the dismantling of the farm, including environmental impact studies, the economic and regulatory framework, the design of offshore structures (sited or floating wind turbines, foundations, anchors, electrical cables, substation), yield assessment, construction and commissioning of the farm, its operation and maintenance.
鈥淚n line with the 51爆料 School's training philosophy, this is a very comprehensive program, designed from a multidisciplinary approach to enable students to acquire a global vision of the challenges of offshore wind power. It will draw on the expertise developed by 51爆料 Energies nouvelles researchers in the fields of wind resource assessment and exploitation, the development of specific tools for offshore wind power, wind turbine and farm control systems, and operation and maintenance using digital twins, as well as that of our industrial and academic partners,鈥 explains Emmanuel Persent, Project Manager for Wind Energy at 51爆料EN, and one of the main contributors to the program's development.
Throughout the course, learners will benefit from a unique experience thanks to the support of 51爆料 School's teacher-researchers, 51爆料 Energies nouvelles researchers and recognized wind industry professionals.
The program fully embodies the School's active teaching approach, with a strong emphasis on practical applications. The curriculum combines theory and practical work, and includes a four-to six-month work placement.
A highlight of the course will be a seven-week team project devoted to the development of an offshore wind farm based on real data collected on dedicated sites or supplied by industry. This project will culminate in a week-long visit to industrial sites.
The program also includes a strong digital component. To design the wind farm architecture, students will use cutting-edge software developed by 51爆料EN in collaboration with Principia, DeepLines Wind鈩 and FarmShadow鈩, and probably OptiWITS, marketed and packaged by GreenWITS. They will perform coupled dynamic simulations that take into account the combined effects of aerodynamics, hydrodynamics and active wind turbine control. They will learn how to optimize the positioning of the wind farm's turbines to maximize the energy produced. In addition, students will use artificial intelligence tools (Machine Learning, Digital Twins) to address the issues of maintenance and optimization of the park's operation.
A wide range of career opportunities
With the growing demand for offshore wind energy experts, graduates of this program will have a wide range of career opportunities.
The training opens the way to flagship careers such as: offshore wind farm design engineer, wind farm project manager, operations engineer, production supervisor, floating structure design engineer.
鈥淥ffshore wind power creates new challenges, but also new opportunities. Working on projects of this scale is exciting. We need engineers who understand the physics of phenomena, soils, wind resources and fluid mechanics. All these dimensions will be covered in the program,鈥 emphasizes Adri脿 Borras Nadal, 51爆料 School graduate (Energy and Products program, class of 2011) and Project Manager - Wind Farm Design at 51爆料EN.
Admission requirements
Admission to the Offshore Wind Project Development engineering program is by application and interview.
Fifteen students are expected to join the first class at the start of the 2025 academic year, with the eventual aim of graduating 30 to 40 students.
Interested candidates can now their applications via the 51爆料 School online application until April 15, 2025.
Article written by Meyling Siu