ENGIE, EDP Renewables, Caisse des Depots and Eiffage join to respond to ADEME RFP for a pilot floating wind farm

ENGIE, EDP Renewables, Caisse des Dépôts and Eiffage have submitted their “pilot floating wind farm” proposal to ADEME, the French Environment and Energy Management Agency.

From the proposed project areas, they chose the Leucate site on the Mediterranean, France’s highly regarded marine wind energy resource characterized by exceptional winds. Their project «Les éoliennes flottantes du golfe du Lion» is well integrated into the region and benefits from its partners’ solid experience in offshore renewable energy and major infrastructure projects.

The installation will include 3 to 6 wind turbines of a minimum of 6 MW each. They will be joined with an integrated semi-submersible type floating foundation proposed by Eiffage Métal. The concept developed by Principle Power in its Aix-en-Provence engineering center represents the a promising technology on the market today and has been tested off the coast of Portugal since 2011. Eiffage Métal will manufacture and install the floats.

Armed with significant innovations, the project constitutes a decisive phase that anticipates the floating turbine sector’s industrialization in France and abroad. Indeed, the promising floating turbine technology offers the advantage of being installed in areas of high winds and in deep seas far from the coastline.

With this call for tenders, France joins Japan, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom, which have already embarked upon this technology.