The EDF Group announces the launch of the construction of the Scottish Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm as well as the partnership with the Irish electricity company ESB which is taking a stake of 50 % in the project. The future 450 MW offshore wind farm is part of EDF's development strategy in offshore wind power and strengthens its position in the production of carbon-free energy in the United Kingdom, a country where the Group is also already strongly established. both in nuclear power and in renewables.
Made up of 54 turbines, Neart na Gaoithe1 will be located in the North Sea approximately 15km from the coast of Fife in the south-east of Scotland. At full capacity, this offshore wind farm will generate the equivalent of the annual electricity supply for 375,000 homes, or 4 % of the electricity consumed in Scotland. This project, which has all administrative authorizations, benefits from a “Contract for Difference” (CfD) for a period of 15 years at a rate of £114.39/MWh in 2012 pounds sterling, as well as connection agreements to the network.
After having put in place all the financing agreements, EDF Renewables is now launching the construction of the project, and announces the contracts signed with several first-tier subcontractors, including: – Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) will provide the wind turbines with a unit capacity of 8 MW; – Saipem will build and install the foundations of the wind turbines;
– GE Renewable Energy Grid Solutions is responsible for supplying the two electrical substations as well as the electrical works;
– Prysmian SRL will supply and install the export cables, on land and at sea;
– Deme Offshore won the engineering, procurement, construction and offshore installation contract for inter-wind turbine cables;
– Fred Olsen Windcarrier will transport and install the wind turbines at sea.
The manufacturing of components on land has now started. Construction on the offshore site is expected to begin in June 2020 and commissioning of the park is planned for 2023.
The NnG project will contribute to the local economy through the creation of jobs and new industrial opportunities. Thus, part of the “jacket” type foundations will be built by the Scottish engineering company BiFab. The wind turbines will be assembled in the port of Dundee. Eyemouth Harbor was retained as the preferred supplier to manage the operation and maintenance of the wind farm for 25 years. More precisely, this activity alone will allow the creation of 50 permanent jobs near the park.
EDF Renewables also announces its partnership with Ireland's leading energy company, ESB, which is taking a 50 % stake in the project. This operation will result in the consolidation of the project by equity method. ESB operates in the Irish electricity market, from production to supply and distribution to customers throughout Great Britain. In 2017, ESB opened an office in Scotland and is developing renewable energy projects there, including onshore and offshore wind.
The EDF Group, via its subsidiary EDF Renewables, is a significant player in the offshore wind market with a portfolio of projects of more than 5 GW in operation and under development, including 103 MW of offshore wind farms in operation in United Kingdom (Teesside for 62 MW and Blyth for 41.5 MW, both located in the North East of England).
1 Neart na Gaoithe in Gaelic means “Strength of the Wind”.
Currently, the Group operates a total of nearly 13 GW of gross wind and solar capacity worldwide, including nearly 1 GW in the United Kingdom, to which must be added 23 GW of hydroelectricity. The NnG project is part of EDF's CAP 2030 strategy aimed at doubling its overall renewable energy capacity between 2015 and 2030 to bring it to 50 GW.
Bruno Bensasson, EDF Group Executive Director in charge of the Renewable Energy Sector and Chairman and CEO of EDF Renewables, declared: “Two major milestones have just been achieved for the NnG project, demonstrating the strong capacity of EDF Renewables to develop large-scale maritime wind projects. We are pleased to launch the work in collaboration with our new partner ESB and with all the companies and stakeholders involved with us. The future 450 MW offshore wind farm which will play an important role in the decarbonisation of UK electricity. »
Simone Rossi, Managing Director of EDF Energy, said: “The UK is committed to achieving “zero carbon” by 2050 and the latest UN report highlighting the emissions gap, warns of the need urgent action. NnG now represents our largest offshore wind farm in the UK. We are determined to do our part to reduce the country's carbon emissions, while generating employment and economic opportunities for communities. »
Pat O'Doherty, Managing Director of ESB added: “Our participation of 50 % in Neart na Gaoithe fits perfectly with ESB's “Brighter Future” strategy aimed at creating a balanced low carbon portfolio. Offshore wind is one of the leading technologies to bring clean electricity to power the world of the future. Our investment in the Neart na Gaoithe project reinforces ESB's strong commitment to offshore wind off the coast of Ireland, broadening its experience. It will allow us to assist Ireland with its Climate Action programme. We are delighted to pool our expertise with EDF Renewables within this major project. »
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About EDF
A major player in the energy transition, the EDF group is an integrated energy company, present in all businesses: production, transport, distribution, trading, energy sales and energy services. Leader in low-carbon energies in the world, the Group has developed a diversified production mix based on nuclear energy, hydraulics, new renewable energies and thermal energy. The Group participates in the supply of energy and services to approximately 39.8 million customers (1), including 29.7 million in France. In 2018, it achieved a consolidated turnover of 69 billion euros. EDF is a company listed on the Paris Stock Exchange.
(1) Customers are counted at the end of 2018 by delivery site; a customer can have two delivery points: one for electricity and another for gas.
About NNG
NnG is a major offshore wind farm project in the UK and, with almost €1.8 billion invested in its infrastructure, it will have a positive impact on the Scottish economy.
NnG is located off the east coast of Scotland, 15.5 km off the coast of Fife and covers an area of approximately 105 km2. This project also benefits from one of the best wind regimes in the world. EDF Renewables acquired NnG in 2018. The NnG offshore wind farm benefits from all the necessary authorizations and obtained a CfD from the company Low Carbon Contracts in February 2015. The CFD, which was awarded as part of a call highly competitive tender, gives the offshore wind project a price indexed to inflation for the electricity produced over a period of fifteen years.
About EDF Renewables
EDF Renewables is an international leader in renewable electricity with an installed capacity of nearly 12.5 GW gross worldwide. Its development is mainly focused on wind power and photovoltaic solar power. 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. The Company, which is strongly positioned in the offshore wind sector, is also present in other renewable energy sectors such as energy storage. EDF Renewables ensures the development and construction of renewable energy projects as well as their operation and maintenance, for its own account and on behalf of third parties. EDF Renewables is the subsidiary of the EDF group
dedicated to the development of solar and wind energy.
For more information : www.edf-renouvelables.com
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About ESB
ESB operates in the Irish electricity market: from generation, through transmission and distribution to serving growing customers in Great Britain. In 2017, the ESB opened an office in Glasgow to lead the development of renewable energy, particularly onshore and offshore wind, across Scotland. ESB owns the distribution networks in the Republic of Ireland (via ESB Networks) and Northern Ireland (via Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Ltd). In 2017 the company achieved a 42% generation share in the island market and a 34 % share of electricity supply in the all-island market (via Electric Ireland) with 1.4 million Accounts.
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