Eoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion

Project Overview

The Eoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL) project is a significant floating wind power facility located in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of southern France. Here are the key details of the project:

Location and Site Details

• The project is situated more than 16 kilometers off the coast of the Leucate-Le Barcarès area in the Mediterranean Sea, within the Natural Marine Park of the Gulf of Lion.
• The water depth at the project site ranges from 70 to 100 meters.

Project Developers and Ownership

• The project is developed by a joint venture between Ocean Winds (a 50:50 joint venture of EDP Renewables and ENGIE) and Banque des Territoires (a business unit of Caisse des Dépôts). However, some sources indicate a slightly different ownership structure, with Ocean Winds holding 80% and Banque des Territoires holding 20%.

Turbines and Technology

• The EFGL project features three Vestas V164-10.0 MW wind turbines, each with a rotor diameter of 164 meters and a swept area of 21,124 square meters.
• These turbines will be installed on WindFloat® units, which are semi-submersible, three-column floating platforms designed by Principle Power. This project will deploy the 3rd generation of WindFloat® technology, incorporating innovations in modularization and manufacturability.

Power Generation and Transmission

• The project has a total capacity of 30 MW and is expected to generate enough electricity to power more than 50,000 homes annually, producing around 110,000 MWh of electricity and offsetting approximately 90,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year.
• The power will be transmitted through dynamic cable technology and interconnected by 66 kV inter-array cables. The electricity will be evacuated into the national grid via a submarine and onshore export cable, with the offshore section spanning 18 kilometers and the onshore section being 3 kilometers long, connecting to a substation in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque.

Environmental Considerations

• The project is located within a marine reserve and has been developed in close coordination with national and local agencies, as well as non-governmental stakeholders, to ensure responsible siting and minimal environmental impact.
• Environmental conservation is a central aspect of the project. It includes the installation of Ecocean's Biohut®, an artificial fish habitat, on one of the WindFloat units to foster biodiversity. A Biodiversity Observation Buoy (BOB) was deployed in 2019 to monitor biodiversity, showing a real increase in species diversity without any invasive species.

Construction and Installation

• The final investment decision (FID) was taken in January 2022, following five years of development work. The project construction is expected to commence in 2023, with commercial operation anticipated by the end of 2024.
• Maersk Supply Service has been contracted to transport and install the three wind turbines, including engineering, transport, delivery to site, and offshore installation of the floating wind turbines, as well as the procurement and installation of the mooring systems.

Economic and Industrial Impact

• The project will facilitate the development of an offshore wind industrial cluster in southern France, with Port La Nouvelle serving as a logistical and industrial base. This will involve the handling of turbine components, installation on WindFloat units, and commissioning and testing before deployment.
• The project is expected to create nearly 400 direct and indirect jobs, including the conversion of an Eiffage Metal site previously intended for oil & gas infrastructure manufacturing, adding up to 100 jobs.

Contractors and Partners

• Key contractors include Vestas for the supply, transport, installation, and maintenance of the turbines; JDR Cable Systems for the submarine and underground electric cables; DEME’s French subsidiary SDI for the delivery and installation of the export cable; and ABS Group for design verification services. Bureau Veritas is engaged as the certification authority.

The EFGL project represents a significant step in the development of floating wind technology and the transition to renewable energy, while also contributing to local economic growth and environmental conservation.