Fécamp, May 15, 2024 – In the presence of Roland Lescure, Minister Delegate in charge of Industry and Energy, EDF, through its subsidiary EDF Renouvelables, EIH S.à.rl, a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc., Canada Pension Plan (CPP Investments) and Skyborn have inaugurated the Fécamp offshore wind farm with a capacity of approximately 500 MW. Located between 13 and 24 km from the coast, the park will help support France's energy transition objectives which aim to achieve 33% of renewable energy in its energy mix by 2030.
Since the production of its first megawatt hours in July 2023, until the installation of the 71st wind turbine, the Fécamp offshore wind farm has been gradually connected to the national network. In the coming weeks, it will be able to supply nearly 770,000 people with low-carbon electricity, the equivalent of 60% of the annual electricity consumption of the Seine-Maritime department.
Consultation with the territories: a long-term commitment
For 12 years, the Fécamp offshore wind farm teams have been working in close consultation with all stakeholders in the region. This dialogue made it possible to take into account all the issues linked to the territory: landscape, environmental protection and shared uses of the sea. Numerous meetings and meetings with fishing professionals, local residents, elected officials and stakeholders premises made it possible to carry out a project which combines commitment to the energy transition, consideration of the needs and resources of the territory and respect for the environment. For example, the configuration of the park was adapted and the wind turbines aligned in the direction of the current to allow fishing.
Cooperation with local stakeholders and environmental monitoring measures will continue during the operating phase of the Fécamp offshore wind farm.
A project contributing to the development of the territory
Throughout the construction phase, which lasted three years, the Fécamp offshore wind farm relied mainly on the regional infrastructure and skills of Le Havre and Cherbourg for the construction of the gravity foundations and wind turbines. In total, the project has mobilized around 3,000 jobs in the Normandy region and represents an overall investment of around 2 billion euros.
With the maintenance base located on the Grand Quai de Fécamp peninsula, around a hundred local jobs have been created for the operation of the park. Daily missions will range from planning maintenance operations to optimizing electricity production.
Luc Rémont, Chairman and CEO of EDF, said : " We are very proud to inaugurate the first offshore wind farm in Normandy less than two years after the commissioning of the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm in Loire-Atlantique. I would like to warmly thank all the stakeholders in the Normandy region for their support, all the EDF Renewables teams as well as those of our partners, Enbridge, CPP Investments and Skyborn for the work accomplished. This new low-carbon electricity production facility would not have been possible without close and permanent dialogue with elected officials and local authorities, environmental associations, fishermen, economic players and local residents. The development of the offshore wind farms of Saint-Nazaire and Fécamp has enabled the emergence of a new industrial sector in France, essential for developing future parks, in particular our Calvados, Dunkerque and Manche Normandie projects. »
Matthew Akman, Executive Vice President of Strategy and President of Energy at Enbridge Inc. said : " The successful completion of the Fécamp Offshore Wind Farm marks an important milestone for Enbridge and our project partners. Following the successful completion of Saint-Nazaire in 2022, Enbridge continues to advance the development and construction of several offshore wind projects in France, including the Provence Grand Large floating wind project, as well as the Calvados offshore wind projects, from Dunkirk and Normandy. These projects further illustrate our commitment to being a leader in the energy transition and providing reliable, clean and secure energy to the region. Thank you to our partners – EDF Renewables, CPP Investments and Skyborn – with whom we have contributed to collectively growing the offshore wind industry in France. »
Bill Rogers, Managing Director in charge of sustainable energy, at CPP Investments, said : " The energy transition requires significant long-term and flexible capital, and we are pleased to bring our capital and expertise, alongside EDF Renewables, Enbridge and Skyborn, to this flagship infrastructure project. After the success of our first project alongside our partners, the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm, the commissioning of Fécamp is an important step in the development of France's offshore wind capacity. Offshore wind projects are central to our investment activities as we see significant opportunities in the sector due to global decarbonization goals and energy needs. »
Thomas Karst, Chief Executive Officer of Skyborn added : " We are proud of all the work that has been accomplished to create the Fécamp offshore wind farm, in which Skyborn has been involved since 2007. The commissioning of this project is an important step for the energy transition in France and Europe. We would like to warmly thank our partners on this project, EDF Renewables, who led the execution and brought the project to completion, and Enbridge and CPP Investments for their collaboration all these years. »
About EDF
A major player in the energy transition, the EDF group is an integrated energy company, present in all businesses: production, distribution, trading, energy sales and energy services. Leader in low-carbon energies in the world with carbon-free production of 434 TWh, the Group has developed a diversified production mix based mainly on nuclear and renewable energy (including hydraulics) and is investing in new technologies to support the energetic transition. EDF's purpose is to build a CO2-neutral energy future reconciling preservation of the planet, well-being and development, thanks to electricity and innovative solutions and services. The Group provides energy and services to approximately 40.9 million customers (1) and achieved a turnover of 139.7 billion euros in 2023.
About EDF Renewables
EDF Renouvelables is an international energy company that develops, builds and operates renewable energy production plants. A major player in the world's energy transition, EDF Renewables deploys competitive, responsible and value-creating projects within EDF. In each country, our teams are engaged on a daily basis with the territories by putting their expertise and their capacity for innovation at the service of the fight against climate change.
At the end of 2023, EDF Renewables has an installed capacity of 12.8 GW net (21.2 GW gross) worldwide.
Mainly present in Europe and North America, the company is also developing in emerging markets such as South Africa, Brazil, China, India and the Middle East. Historically active in onshore wind power and photovoltaics, the Company is significantly strengthening its position in installed and floating offshore wind power, as well as in new technologies such as energy storage, floating solar and agrivoltaics.
EDF Renewables Contacts
Mathieu Baratier ▪ tel. : +33 (0)6 22 69 94 95 ▪ email: mathieu.baratier@edf-re.fr
Emilien Lacroix ▪ tel. : +33 (0)6 38 96 49 48 ▪ email: emilien.lacroix@edf-re.fr
Eugénie Gai ▪ tel. : +33 (0)6 10 89 41 24 ▪ email: eugenie.gai@edf-re.fr
About Enbridge
At Enbridge, we safely connect millions of people to the energy they need every day, powering everyday life through our North American natural gas, oil and renewable energy networks, as well as to our growing portfolio of offshore wind turbines in Europe. We invest in modern energy distribution infrastructure to ensure access to secure and affordable energy, and capitalize on more than a century of operating conventional energy infrastructure and two decades of experience in renewable energy . We are developing new technologies, including hydrogen, renewable natural gas and carbon capture and storage, and are committed to achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Based in Calgary, Alberta, Enbridge trades under the symbol ENB on the Toronto (TSX) and New York (NYSE) stock exchanges. To learn more, visit our website at enbridge.com.
Contact Enbridge
Mandy Dinning – media@enbridge.com
About CPP Investments
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) is a professional investment management organization that manages the fund for the benefit of more than 20 million Canada Pension Plan contributors and beneficiaries. To diversify asset portfolios, investments are made around the world in public and private equity, real estate, infrastructure and fixed income securities. CPP Investments, whose governance and management are separate from those of the Canada Pension Plan, operates 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 March 31, 2021, the fund totaled 497.2 billion Canadian dollars.”
Contact CCP Investments
Steve McCool –smccool@cppib.com
About Skyborn Renewables (Skyborn)
Skyborn is an offshore wind project developer with over 20 years of experience.
The expertise of our 400 employees allows us to cover the entire life cycle of offshore wind farms: development (including greenfield), engineering and design, procurement, financing, construction and operation. We are currently working on 30 GW of projects, at different stages of development, mainly in Europe and Asia. Our group headquarters is located in Germany.
Skyborn's management team has many years of experience in the offshore wind sector, and promotes anticipation, collaboration, dynamism and diversity, while always ensuring the safety of our operations .
Skyborn is a company of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), an independent infrastructure investment fund. We combine our years of experience in offshore wind with the financial strength and experience of GIP in renewable energy investments, with the aim of becoming a global leader in electricity powered by the winds.
For more information : www.skybornrenewables.com
Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skyborn-renewables-france
Press contact
Alison Aguilé – a.aguile@skybornrenewables.com