France, having missed its 2020 renewable energy target, is actively working to regain momentum. One major obstacle for developers of large onshore wind farms in France is the military’s restriction, which has prohibited wind farms in almost half of France’s land due to aviation and military regulations. This poses challenges for developers to find suitable land for new projects. Consequently, offshore wind energy is becoming increasingly crucial in France’s transition towards more renewable energy. To expedite this transition, France aims to install 40 GW of offshore wind energy capacity by 2050.
In this article, we introduce the developers of the country’s three largest wind farms:
1) EMMN: Centre Manche 1 Project in Normandy
Eoliennes en Mer Manche Normandie (EMMN) is a joint venture by French developer EDF Renewables and UK-based Maple Power. The consortium brings recognized expertise and experience in offshore wind and major energy projects. The project partners’ experience spans all energy sectors and activities from exploration and development to construction and operation. In April 2021, the consortium EMMN was selected as a candidate for the French government’s tender to install offshore wind turbines at the Centre Manche site. The joint venture will develop a 1GW offshore wind farm, slated to become France’s largest. It will be located over 32 km off the coast of Manche and Calvados departments in Normandy. Construction is expected to start in 2026 or 2027, with operational status anticipated by 2031. Additional offshore wind tenders near Oléron Island (1 GW) and off the Normandy coast (1.5 GW) are also in progress.
2) EMF: Fécamp Offshore Wind Farm
Next on our list of the developers of the largest wind farms in France is Eolien Maritime France (EMF). EMF is a partnership between EDF Renewables, EIH S.à.rl (owned by Enbridge Inc. and CPP Investments), and Germany-based Skyborn Renewables (formerly wpd offshore). This partnership has developed a wind farm off the coast of Normandy with a capacity of approximately 497 MW. It is situated in the English Channel, 13 to 22 km off the French northwest coast, south of Dieppe. Set for completion in the first half of 2024, it caters to 770,000 residents’ electricity needs.
3) EDF Renewables: Saint-Nazaire Offshore Wind Farm
EDF Renewables functions as a fully-owned subsidiary of the French utility EDF Group, focusing exclusively on renewable energy generation. Operating as an integrated entity, the Group not only does the development and financing of renewable energy projects but also oversees construction while managing ongoing operations and maintenance, both for its own portfolio and on behalf of external partners. Besides being part of several partnerships, including for other large-scale wind projects on this list, EDF Renewables developed the Saint-Nazaire Offshore Wind Farm. This operational wind farm, located off the coast of the Guérande peninsula in Loire-Atlantique, in western France, comprises 80 turbines with a total capacity of 480 MW. It covers approximately 20% of Loire-Atlantique’s electricity consumption. Operational since late September 2022, it marks France’s first commercial-scale offshore wind project.
Image: Karsten Würth via Unsplash (25.03.2024)
