Six Major Companies Team Up to Respond to Offshore Wind Energy Call for Tenders Launched by French Government

EDF Energies Nouvelles, DONG Energy, Nass&Wind Offshore, Poweo ENR, wpd offshore and Alstom are pooling their expertise and their investment capacity within a consortium created to respond to the “offshore wind energy” call for tenders launched on July 11 by the French government. These partnerships illustrate a shared commitment to create, in a team spirit, projects of excellence that are: technologically innovative, financially and technically sound, devised locally, mastered and ambitious for France’s industrial plan.

Initiator of the overall project and founder of the consortium, EDF Energies Nouvelles organizes and federates the partnerships, manages the future entity and coordinates the responses to the call for tenders. As an international leader in renewable energy, EDF EN provides its technological, industrial and financial expertise as well as its offshore experience from the construction of two offshore projects in the UK and in Belgium. EDF EN will own a majority stake in the parent company of the consortium.

With over 20 years’ experience in the Northern European offshore wind market, DONG Energy will bring its expertise as a specialist and pioneer in this sector. As a key player in the renewable energy industry, the Danish group is the utility company that has built and operates to date the most offshore wind farms in the world.

Experienced players for 5 projects of excellence

The consortium brings together three partners that are well-known and experienced developers: Nass&Wind Offshore, Poweo ENR and wpd offshore. Developers of very advanced projects in maritime regions selected by the French government, they will continue the development, conduct environmental impact studies and build local support. The five projects presented by the consortium will be held by five dedicated companies, in which the parent company will hold a majority stake beside the strategic developing partners.

State of the art technology at the heart of an ambitious industrial project

Cornerstone of the overall project, the exclusive agreement between Alstom and the consortium, for the supply of new generation offshore wind turbines, is a major decision that lays the foundations for the creation of a French industrial field. The launch in 2014 of a new, innovative equipment with unmatched performances will provide a unique opportunity to design a wind turbine using French technology, completely manufactured and assembled in France. If the consortium wins sufficient volumes, Alstom plans to build an industrial and technological hub in France comprised of manufacturing units for generators, blades and nacelles. This would be the centre of a vast economic and scientific ecosystem that would call on numerous French industrial subcontractors and create technological partnerships with several entities. Almost 200 providers from the offshore wind energy sector are committed in this project.

The six players are pooling their expertise to build solid solutions able to create a competitive, job-creating French offshore wind energy industry.

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Source: Alstom, July 12, 2011;