Ocean Winds has toasted the successful assembly of the first turbine at its Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL) floating offshore wind project at Port-La Nouvelle.
The turbine assembly marks a major milestone for the EFGL project, which Ocean Winds is developing in partnership with Banque des Territoires.
The 10MW Vestas turbine – the most powerful ever installed in France – has been mounted on its floating foundation at the dedicated offshore wind terminal developed by the Occitanie Region at Port-La Nouvelle.
In the weeks ahead, the other two turbines will be progressively completed, before being towed 16km off the coast of Leucate and Barcarès for installation at sea.
Marc Hirt, country manager for Ocean Winds in France, said: “The assembly of EFGL’s first turbine reflects the ambition driving offshore wind development in France.
“This milestone – achieved in close collaboration with our partners and local teams – is a strong signal of our commitment to accelerating floating wind in the Mediterranean.
“It also follows another proud moment for Ocean Winds end of last year with the award, alongside Banque des Territoires, of our 250MW floating offshore wind EFLO project, in this very region.”
EFGL project director Jérémy de Barbarin added: “Bringing together such a complex assembly operation within a port environment, on floating foundations, is a technical and logistical success for all those involved.
“It’s a milestone for the EFGL project and for the Occitanie Region, which is confirming its role as a forerunner in renewable marine energy.”
The EFGL pilot farm is jointly owned by Ocean Winds and Banque des Territoires. Beyond its demonstration role, EFGL will deliver technical, operational and environmental insights to inform the next generation of floating offshore wind farms in the Mediterranean, including the EFLO (Eoliennes Flottantes d’Occitanie) 250MW floating offshore wind project, currently in its early stage of development.
This achievement follows the recent installation of the first turbine at Ocean Winds’ EMYN offshore wind farm less than a month ago on France’s Atlantic coast.
France is a strategic market for Ocean Winds, with four offshore wind farms, including EMYN, currently in construction or development. These projects represent a total capacity of 1.3GW – enough to supply over 2 million French households with clean, renewable electricity each year.