EDF and partner Maple Power have secured their 250MW Golfe de Fos 1 floating offshore wind farm in France’s AO6 tender.
The joint venture, known as Eoliennes Méditerranée Grand Large, will design, build and operate the array located approximately 25km from the country’s southern coast.
It is the sixth offshore wind project won in France by EDF since the first tender was launched by the Paris government in 2011.
EDF and Maple Power have previously partnered for the 500MW Fécamp wind farm off St Nazaire (pictured) and are currently commissioning the 25MW Provence Grand Large pilot floater in the Mediterranean.
The duo is also building the 450MW Calvados array and developing the 600MW Dunkirk and 1GW Channel Normandy wind farms.
EDF chief executive officer Béatrice Buffon said: “We are delighted with this decision, which confirms the quality of the work carried out by the EDF Renewables and Maple Power teams. We are pleased to continue our collaboration with the region in favour of the energy transition.
“The Grand Large offshore wind farm is fully in line with the EDF Group’s strategy to develop low-carbon electricity production and contribute to France’s carbon neutrality objectives by 2050. In addition, we will be able to capitalize on the feedback from the Provence Grand Large floating offshore wind farm, the first floating wind farm installed in France and the Mediterranean.”
Maple Power chairman and chief executive officer George Walley added: “We welcome the State’s decision to award us the 250MW Golfe de Fos area and to begin the next stages of the project’s development, alongside our long-standing partner, EDF Renewables.
“The proximity of the area to our Provence Grand Large floating pilot project, coupled with favourable ground conditions, strong winds and a strong local port infrastructure, allows us to leverage our extensive experience and achieve efficiencies.”