A consortium of EDF Renewables, Enbridge and WPD has reached financial close on the 500MW Fecamp offshore wind farm off northwest France, with construction of the project set to kick off this month.
Financing agreements between the consortium and its financial partners were concluded at the weekend, the developers said.
Siemens Gamesa has signed a firm order to supply 71 7.0-154 turbines, which will be installed between 13km and 22km off the coast.
Fecamp is scheduled for commissioning in 2023.
Construction of the project will create over 1400 local jobs in total, while 100 full-time positions will be created during the 25-year lifetime of the project.
The total project capital cost is estimated to be €2bn, of which the majority will be financed through non-recourse project level debt.
Fecamp is underpinned by a 20-year power purchase agreement granted by France in June 2018.
Bouygues Construction, plus Saipem and Boskalis will supply and install the project’s foundations.
The foundations contract is valued is €552, of which Bouygues and Saipem’s is 40.5% each and Boskalis 19%.
It covers design, construction and installation of 71 concrete gravity-based structures, which will be installed in water depths between 25 and 30 metres.
Bouygues, as lead party, and Saipem are responsible for the design, construction and installation.
Boskalis is responsible for the design and preparation of the seabed with stones prior to installation and ballasting the installed foundations as well as applying the erosion protection.
The foundations will be built at the Bougainville shipyard in the Grand Port Maritime in Le Havre and transported on barges to the offshore wind farm.
Chantiers de l’Atlantique, plus GE Grid Solutions and SDI will deliver the offshore substation.
RTE, which is responsible for connecting the wind farm from the substation to the coast and then to Normandy’s electricity grid, will start its onshore work this month.
EDF Renewables chief executive Bruno Bensasson said: “I am delighted to announce today the construction of the second French offshore wind farm in Fecamp.
“I want to salute the professionalism of our teams and the mobilisation of local stakeholders who have been working for years together to meet the energy and economic challenges facing the Normandy area.
“With already four offshore wind projects won in France and two of which currently under construction, EDF consolidates its leadership in the sector in France.
“We are thrilled to have contributed to the creation of an industrial sector that creates value and employment for the territories.
“These large-scale projects fit with EDF’s strategy, under which it aims to double its renewable energy capacity worldwide between 2015 and 2030 to 50GW net. This is how we will build a CO2-neutral energy future as well.”
Enbridge chief development officer John Whelen said: “We are pleased to mark this important milestone with our partners.
“The start of construction of Fecamp demonstrates our continued commitment to offshore wind development in Europe and further positions us as a diversified energy infrastructure leader.
“This investment is underpinned by a long-term power purchase agreement that is in line with our low-risk business model.
“Enbridge now has several investments in offshore wind projects in various stages of development in France, as well as investments in three offshore wind projects currently operating in Germany and the UK.”
WPD Offshore chief executive Achim Berge Olsen said: “This is a big step for offshore wind power in Normandy and for the wpd group, highly committed to this project.
“More than 10 years ago now, when offshore wind energy was only just starting in France, our team began a broad consultation with all stakeholders, on this excellent area for offshore wind, in order to build a real territorial project.
“By achieving financial and industrial closing, we can now run for the project’s construction, which will make France the 3rd country where WPD is engaged in offshore wind, after Germany & our recent achievements in Taiwan.”
Siemens Gamesa will manufacture the turbines at a new plant in Le Havre, at which construction is set to begin this summer creating 750 jobs.
The company has selected a consortium led by GTM Normandie-Centre, a subsidiary of Vinci Construction France for the construction of the plant in Le Havre.
The 20-hectare factory will be the first in the world to manufacture all main offshore wind turbine components under one roof as previously announced.
Start of operation for the plant is scheduled to take place between the end of 2021 and early 2022.
Siemens Gamesa France managing director Filippo Cimitan said: “It has been a long journey from the award of these projects to the confirmation of the orders received today and is the result of great collaboration with customers and partners, and within our own teams. We can now look ahead to the launch of their construction.
“We remain fully committed to make this historic industrial plan a symbol of the French Ecological Transition as well as an example of long-term green jobs and new business opportunities for local companies.”
Le Havre Mayor Jean Baptiste Gastinne said: “Wind turbines produced in Le Havre to equip the Fecamp wind farm is excellent news for the Le Havre area and for Normandy.
“I am delighted to see that this major industrial project is progressing well, all the signals are now green to see the first factory in the world to produce blades and nacelles coming out of the ground on our territory.
“Our unfailing mobilisation is bearing fruit and will lead to the creation of 750 direct and indirect jobs in Le Havre.”
The manufacturing of the gravitational foundations for the turbines will also start in the summer at the Grand Port Maritime site, providing work for around 600 people.
Turbines will be assembled at the Port of Cherbourg.
EDF Renewables owns 35% of the project, Enbridge 35% and WPD 30%.