The names of the winners were revealed today. Construction is due to begin in 2029, with commissioning in 2031. The electricity thus produced corresponds to the consumption of nearly a million homes.
No truce from confectioners for renewable energies. This Friday morning, the government revealed the names of the winners of the call for tenders for two floating wind farms in the Mediterranean (known as AO 6), both located more than 25 kilometers from the coast. Ocean Winds (owned by EDP Renewables and Engie) and Éolien en mer participations (Caisse des Dépôts et Consignation), wins the “Éoliennes Flottantes d’Occitanie” project located in the so-called Narbonnaise area, between Agde (Hérault) and Port-la- New (Aude). The project «Fos Golf»off the coast of Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône) was awarded to the company Éoliennes Méditerranée Grand Large, of which EDF Renouvelables and Maple Power (itself owned by CPP Investments and Enbridge) are shareholders.
The result of this call for tenders is already the fruit of long work. A debate was organized by the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP) from July to October 2021. The competitive bidding procedure was launched in March 2022, then the specifications were published in April 2024. Five projects were submitted to the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) in August of that same year. She delivered her deliberations on November 29. The Barnier government’s censorship has suspended the publication of the names of the winners until today.
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Marc Ferracci, Minister responsible for Industry and Energy, underlines “the importance of these wind projects, which combine a green industrial sector and the response to the challenges of the energy transition”. The country aims to have 18 gigawatts (18,000 megawatts) of offshore wind in service by 2035 and 45 GW by 2050. “The award of these two projects in the Mediterranean Sea brings the cumulative power of projects in service, under construction or under development on the French coasts to almost 5.3 GW”specifies the ministry. France has three wind farms installed in service, off the coast of Fécamp, Saint-Nazaire and Saint-Brieuc. “By 2050, wind power will represent 35% of energy production in France, behind nuclear power.», Specifies Marc Hirt, general manager of Ocean Winds France.
EDF Renewables is preparing to commission a first floating wind farm, Provence Grand Large, off the coast of Fos. Made up of three wind turbines, it is primarily intended to test the technology. The following are commercial projects. “The Gulf of Fos project will have a capacity of approximately 250 megawatts and will be able to supply 450,000 inhabitants”specifies Benoîte Chenut, in charge of the project at EDF Renewables. The parks will be installed in an area where the depth is between 90 and 110 meters, which justifies the choice of floating wind turbines and not placed on the ground. Each of these machines could have a production capacity of 20 MW (compared to 8.4 for the first three already installed). “We are working to identify the technologies that will be available over the project horizon”explains Benoîte Chenut. Construction should begin in 2029 for commissioning at the end of 2031. A maximum of 19 wind turbines will then be installed for a total capacity which will be between 230 and 280 MW.
Ocean Winds, for its part, is banking on starting construction at the beginning of 2030. This is also banking on the technology developed by PPI conception, which has developed very particular floats: instead of being round, they will be cubic and full of water, which is reduced cost. The turbines are expected to have a capacity of 21.5 MW.But it is a technology that is not mature. A lot can happen between now and 2030, but we remain very open to all technological developments, perhaps with even more powerful turbines» adds Marc Hirt. This park should have around a dozen masts. The wind turbines could be 300 meters high!
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Until then, the winners of the two projects will carry out environmental impact studies, obtain permits, select industrial partners and prepare the financial closure of the project. The investment for Gulf of Fos will be more than one billion euros, with an electricity purchase price set at 85.90 euros per MWh, according to our information. It will be 92.7 euros per MW for an investment of just over 800 million euros for the Occitanie Floating Wind Farm. The price of the energy transition! For the record, the purchase price for the wind farm installed off the coast of Dunkirk is 44 euros per MW. But the machines are closer to the coast. The further away they are, the less visible they are, but the more expensive the connections are. At this distance, electrical substations begin to resemble small ocean liners. Finally, these two projects may be subject to extension within the framework of Call for Tender 9, at the end of the decade.
“We have signed a charter so that 50% of the project takes place in France, which is essential to structure this industrial sector in the regions”adds Benoîte Chenut. The winners have also made strong environmental commitments. EDF Renewables will thus devote 25 million euros to improving knowledge of the environment and implementing compensation measures, in particular. Wind turbines must be recycled at least 90% at the end of their life, that is to say, in 2061 at the earliest. Which leaves a little time to set up a local waste reprocessing sector! The idea is to minimize the carbon footprint of these projects, but also to succeed in recycling components in France, rare metals for example, the control of which is essentially a matter of the country’s energy sovereignty.
