Ocean Winds (OW), an international company dedicated to offshore wind energy and created as a 50-50 joint venture by EDP Renewables and ENGIE, in partnership with Banque des Territoires, a public investment institution committed to sustainable development, has been awarded the Eoliennes Flottantes d’Occitanie (EFLO) project by the French Ministry in charge of Industry and Energy. The project covers one of two mutually exclusive development zones defined in the AO6 tender, in the waters the Gulf of Lion, in the Mediterranean Sea.
The EFLO project has a total installed capacity of approximately 250 MW, capable of producing approximately 1 TWh of clean electricity annually – enough to meet the domestic energy needs of nearly 500 000 people. This makes a notable contribution toward supplying renewable energy to Occitanie’s population of 6 million. EFLO is expected to generate around 5 million working hours during its development and construction phases and then will create permanent maintenance jobs during its operational phase, highlighting Ocean Winds and Banque des Territoires’ commitment to supporting the energy transition while fostering local employment.
Craig Windram, CEO for Ocean Winds, commented: “We are proud to continue contributing to France’s energy transition through this new project, which underscores the French Government’s confidence in Ocean Winds as a trusted leader in offshore wind energy. A key actor in the offshore wind sector in France thanks to our three projects under construction – îles d’Yeu et de Noirmoutier, Dieppe Le Tréport and EFGL – we bring unmatched expertise to this initiative. Supported by our now 18.8 GW global portfolio, and leveraging the backing of our sponsors, EDPR and ENGIE, with France being ENGIE’s home market, we are committed to delivering reliable, affordable, and green energy for France and beyond.”
Emmanuel Legrand, Director of the Energy and Ecological Transition Department at Banque des Territoires, said: “We are delighted to have been selected, along with our partner Ocean Winds, to build this first major floating wind project in the Mediterranean. The Banque des Territoires has been committed since the early pilot projects to supporting the leadership of the French industry in floating wind energy. This project reflects the ambition of the Caisse des Dépôts group to deploy €100 billion in service of ecological transformation.”
Following a competitive bid and proposal process highlighting combined expertise, the awarding of this project also reflects the continued growth of the longstanding partnership between Ocean Winds and Banque des Territoires, built on the foundation of three offshore wind projects in France, totalling 1 GW of installed capacity and all currently under construction. These include the Eoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL), a 30 MW floating offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Lion, and two 500 MW bottom-fixed projects: Îles d’Yeu et Noirmoutier and Dieppe Le Tréport.
These past collaborations, particularly the EFGL project – which shares the same floating characteristics, the same Mediterranean environment and the same Occitanie base as the newly awarded EFLO project – have positioned OW and Banque des Territoires as trusted local partners, for the development of offshore wind at regional and national levels. This was reflected in the proposed industrial strategy for the EFLO project, which highlights a close collaboration with the local supply chain, the Occitanie Region, and local port infrastructure, particularly the Port of Port-La Nouvelle. Ocean Winds and Banque des Territoires have signed the “Commitment Charter to Contribute to the Regional Structuring of a French Industrial Sector” with six regional French clusters, including Wind’Occ.
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