Paris, September 19, 2023
EDF Renewables and Enbridge Éolien France 2 S.à.rl, a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc. and CPP Investments, have successfully carried out the towing and installation of the first floating offshore wind turbine in Provence Grand Large, 17 km from the coast from Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône (Bouches-du-Rhône). A major step for floating offshore wind power in France.
After assembling the turbine and its float, the first wind turbine in Provence Grand Large left Quai Graveleau in Fos-sur-Mer to be towed 17 km from the coast to its installation site. It was then secured to its anchoring system which ensures the stability of the float.
This complex operation, which requires careful coordination of all partners, is a collective success. It will be reproduced to install the two other wind turbines in the pilot park. The electrical cables will then be laid to transport the electricity to the Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône station. A period of testing will follow before commissioning of the park planned for early 2024.
Provence Grand Large is the first project in the world to use an innovative system of so-called “tensioned anchor line” floats, developed by SBM Offshore and IFP Energies Nouvelles. This technological innovation, inspired by oil platforms, can be deployed even in areas of great depth and allows great stability of the 3,000 ton float which carries the turbine. The three floating offshore wind turbines, each with an output of 8.4 MW, were manufactured by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and will produce the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of 45,000 inhabitants. These are the most powerful offshore wind turbines in France to date.
Selected by the State in 2016 and supported by the European Union (NER 300 and Feder programs), the Future Investment Program (PIA) operated by the Ecological Transition Agency (ADEME), and the South Region , the project benefits from the support of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis and all the communities of the Gulf of Fos.
Provence Grand Large allows EDF Renewables, Enbridge Inc. and CPP Investments to acquire a solid knowledge base to help advance the offshore wind industry.
About EDF Renewables
EDF Renewables is an international leader in renewable electricity production with installed wind and solar capacity of 10.1 GW net (15.6 GW gross) worldwide. Mainly present in Europe and North America, EDF Renewables continues its development by taking a position in promising emerging markets such as: Brazil, China, India, South Africa and the Middle East. Historically active in onshore wind power and photovoltaics, the Company is now strongly positioned in offshore wind power and new technologies such as energy storage. EDF Renewables ensures the development and construction of renewable energy projects as well as their operation and maintenance. EDF Renewables is a subsidiary of the EDF group.
For more information : www.edf-renouvelables.com
Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edf-renouvelables and on Twitter @EDF_RE in French and @EDF_Renewables in English.
About Enbridge Inc.
Enbridge safely connects millions of people to the energy they depend on every day, powering quality of life through its North American natural gas, oil or renewable energy networks and its European portfolio of wind farms growing offshore areas. We invest in modern energy distribution infrastructure to maintain access to secure, affordable energy and build on two decades of renewable energy experience to advance new technologies, including wind and solar, hydrogen, renewable natural gas and carbon capture and storage. We are committed to reducing the carbon footprint of the energy we deliver and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The common shares of Enbridge, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, trade under the symbol ENB on the Toronto Stock Exchanges (“TSX”) and New York Stock Exchanges (“NYSE”). To learn more, visit enbridge.com
About CPP Investments
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (“CPP Investments”) is a professional investment management organization that manages the fund in the interests of 21 million contributors and beneficiaries of the Canada Pension Plan. To diversify asset portfolios, CPP Investments invests in public equities, private equities, real estate, infrastructure and fixed income securities around the world. CPP Investments, whose governance and management are separate from those of the Canada Pension Plan, is at arm's length from governments. It is headquartered in Toronto with offices in Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, São Paulo and Sydney. As of December 31, 2022, the fund totaled $536 billion. For more information, please visit www.cppinvestments.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
CPP Investments' Sustainable Energy group is active across the global energy system where its net assets total approximately C$30.6 billion as of December 31, 2022, including through investments in renewable energy, utilities and electricity production.
About ADEME
At ADEME – the Ecological Transition Agency – we are resolutely committed to the fight against global warming and the degradation of resources. On all fronts, we mobilize citizens, economic actors and territories, giving them the means to progress towards a resource-efficient, lower-carbon, more just and harmonious society. In all areas - energy, air, circular economy, food, waste, soil, etc. - we advise, facilitate and help finance numerous projects, from research to the sharing of solutions. At all levels, we put our expertise and foresight capabilities at the service of public policies. ADEME is a public establishment under the joint supervision of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
More information on www.ademe.fr and on @ademe.
PRESS CONTACTS
For EDF Renewables
Eugénie Gai ▪ tel. : +33 (0) 6 10 89 41 24 ▪ email: eugenie.gai@edf-re.fr
Emilien Lacroix ▪ tel. : +33 (0) 6 38 96 49 48 ▪ email: emilien.lacroix@edf-re.fr
For Enbridge Inc.
Mandy Dinning ▪ email: mandy.dinning@enbridge.com
For CPP Investments
Steve McCool ▪ email: Steve.mccool@cppib.com