EDF and Maple Power Submit Bids to Build Floating Wind Farms Offshore France

EDF Renouvelables, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French utility EDF Group, has submitted bids to build two floating offshore wind farms in the French Mediterranean Sea.

The projects are named Mediterranean Grand Large and Occitanie Grand Large, EDF Renouvelables announced in a social media post.

The company has submitted the bids jointly with Maple Power, a joint venture between CPP Investments and Enbridge Inc.

As reported, France launched tenders for the development of two 250 MW floating wind farms in the Mediterranean Sea back in March.

The winners of these competitive bidding procedures will be selected in 2023 and the two wind farms are expected to be commissioned by 2030.

The two wind farms are also planned to subsequently be supplemented by two extensions of 500 MW each, located nearby.

The first wind farm will be located off Narbonne, more than 22 kilometres from the coast, while the second wind farm should be located some 22 kilometres off Fos-sur-Mer, subject to the results of ongoing environmental studies.

If the results of the studies rule out this location, the second wind farm will be located in an area some 24 kilometers off Roussillon.

In addition, technical and environmental studies are continued in an area located in the center of the Gulf of Lion, more than 34 kilometres from the coast.

Last year, France launched a tendering procedure for a 250 MW floating wind project offshore Brittany. The consortium of EDF Renewables and Maple Power is one of the developers pre-selected to compete for the right to build what would be France’s first large-scale floating wind farm.

The country also has four demonstrator floating wind farms under development, three of which are scheduled to come online in the Mediterranean by 2024.