ORLAC EMR Recycling of Converter Steel Slag for Marine Renewable Energy
The ORLAC EMR project is part of an effort to identify alternative materials and aims to address the challenge of ballasting the submarine cables required to connect offshore wind farms by using modules made of converter steel slag encased in specially designed steel bags.
The ORLAC EMR project is part of an effort to identify alternative materials and aims to address the challenge of ballasting the submarine cables required to connect offshore wind farms by using modules made of converter steel slag encased in specially designed steel bags.
The project in pictures
These materials, whose chemical safety has been validated by a previous research project called DELTAMAR (external link), possess physicochemical properties that are particularly well-suited for these applications, such as high density, variable particle size, and a relatively alkaline pH. The project’s test site is located near the electrical substation of the offshore wind farm off the islands of Yeu and Noirmoutier. 9 prototypes of various sizes and weights were installed in the park in the fall of 2025. The coming years will be devoted to conducting biological monitoring to study the colonization of the modules by marine life.
