EDF and Enbridge obtain permits for three offshore wind farms in France
French local authorities has given the green light to begin the development of three offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 1.4 GW.
EDF Energies Nouvelles won the tender to develop these project in 2012. The authorized offshore win projects, which will be developed along with Enbridge, are the following:
- Eoliennes Offshore des Hautes Falaises, with an expected capacity of 498 MWoff the coast of Fécamp (English Channel);
- Parc du Banc de Guérande, with an expected capacity of 480 MW off the coast of Saint-Nazaire (Atlantic coast);
- Eoliennes Offshore du Calvados, with an expected capacity of 450 MW off the coast of Courseulles-sur-Mer (English Channel).
The projects will use the 6 MW Haliade 150 wind turbine now manufactured by General Electric. The total project investment for each facility is estimated to be between US$2.2 billion and US$2.5 billion.
Following an extensive local consultation and broad engineering and environmental studies performed since 2011, these three projects are progressing as planned. Construction is expected to start gradually from 2017.
In late May we reported that EDF Energies Nouvelles announced a new partnership agreement with Enbridge that covers the development, construction and operation of the three French offshore wind farms. Through this agreement, Enbridge acquired a 50% stake in Eolien Maritime France (EMF), the company controlling the three future offshore wind farms. EDF Energies Nouvelles and Enbridge are co-owners (50/50) of EMF.
