Paris, May 22, 2023 – EDF Renewables and Enbridge Éolien France 2 S.à.rl, a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc. and CPP Investments, have successfully launched the first of three floats which will accommodate the Provence Grand Large wind turbines. A new major step for floating offshore wind power in France.
After loading the first float, 45 meters high and 80 meters wide, onto a semi-submersible barge at the Eiffage Métal site, the assembly was transported to basin 1 of the port of Marseille-Fos. An immersion operation of the barge made it possible to free the float which was then towed and moored to the Graveleau quay.
This complex and meticulous operation was successfully carried out thanks to the expertise and professionalism of the teams involved. The same operation will be repeated on the other two floats a few weeks apart.
The next stage will be that of assembling the wind turbines on the floats, which will be carried out on the Gloria quay, where the masts, nacelles and blades of the wind turbines are currently stored. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, which is responsible for the construction and installation of the wind turbines, will begin operations during the month of June.
Launched in 2020, the construction of the Provence Grand Large floating offshore wind farm has already taken several important steps towards its commissioning scheduled for early 2024:
– The land connection work prior to the installation of the electrical cables was carried out in spring 2022, between the RTE substation of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône and the junction room built at the Napoléon beach car park on the commune of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône;
– The construction of the floats by SBM Offshore on the Eiffage Métal site in Fos-sur-Mer mobilized nearly 200 people at peak activity and has just been completed;
– The masts, nacelles and blades of the wind turbines arrived on the Gloria quay in Fos-sur-Mer at the beginning of April.
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 in areas with great depths and allows great stability of the float. Installed 17 km from the coast, the three floating offshore wind turbines of 8.4 MW each will produce the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of 45,000 inhabitants.
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.
It allows EDF Renewables and Enbridge Éolien France 2 S.à.rl to confirm their ambitions in the floating offshore wind market in France and internationally.
Cédric Le Bousse, Director of Marine Renewable Energy France at EDF Renouvelables, states: “Since 2011, the Provence Grand Large project has participated in the birth of floating offshore wind power in France. Each stage of the project constitutes valuable feedback for both partners, both technologically and industrially, as well as in terms of consultation, environmental measures and cohabitation of uses. This feedback will be decisive in supporting the development of the projects we are carrying out in the south of Brittany (AO5) and in the Mediterranean (AO6). The project contributes to achieving the carbon neutrality objective in 2050 set by the French government, in line with the EDF group's strategy.
George Walley, Chief Commercial Officer at Maple Power (50-50 joint venture between Enbridge Inc. and CPP Investments), states: “We are delighted to have reached this important milestone in the project. Provence Grand Large is the symbol of the efforts made by the various stakeholders to develop the floating offshore wind sector in France in recent years. This project brings Maple Power and EDF Renewables invaluable experience in floating offshore wind, demonstrates our project development and construction capabilities and thus strengthens our credibility as candidates for upcoming calls for tender (AO5, AO6 and beyond). We are extremely proud of the Provence Grand Large project, its technological innovations, its territorial roots, the measures taken to preserve the project's environment, as well as its limited recourse financing which is a world first. »
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
Launching of the first Provence Grand Large float ©CAPA Corporate for EDF Renewables