The three floating foundations for the Provence Grand Large wind farm in France are taking shape at Eiffage Métal’s site in Fos-sur-Mer, where the assembly of the structures is being carried out by the French company and Smulders, its Belgium-based subsidiary.
The project, which will be the first pilot floating wind farm in France, will be built less than 30 kilometres from the assembly site, according to Eiffage Métal.
Provence Grand Large is located 40 kilometres west of Marseille and 17 kilometres off the coast of Port Saint Louis du Rhône, in water depth of around 100 metres.
The 25 MW floating wind farm will comprise three Siemens Gamesa wind turbines installed on tensioned line floats designed by SBM Offshore and IFP Energies Nouvelles, and is scheduled to come online in 2023.
The project is owned by Parc Eolien Offshore de Provence Grand Large – a subsidiary of EDF Renouvelables, and Enbridge Eolien France 2 S.à.r.l (EEF2), a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc. and CPP Investments – which recently secured a EUR 50 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).
EIB’s loan contributes to the design, development, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and dismantling of the Provence Grand Large floating offshore wind farm, and is one of three EIB loans for floating wind farms off the French Mediterranean coast.