The Prefecture de la Manche has approved the transfer of a lease to develop a 12MW tidal power project in Raz Blanchard from Engie to Normandie Hydroliennes, a marine energy development company set up by Simec Atlantis Energy and several partners.
Normandie Hydroliennes also includes the Development Agency for Normandy, regional investment fund Normandie Participations and local industrial group Efinor.
It has been working with the French Environmental and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) and all relevant government ministries over the past 12 months to obtain the relevant approvals for the transfer for what will be the first stage of a potential multi-hundred-megawatt project marine energy project in Raz Blanchard.
Simec Atlantis, which owns 49% of the joint venture, is seeking to expand the collaboration into a larger tidal project in Normandy and Alderney territorial waters.
The long-term goal is to harness up to 2GW of power from the Alderney Race, a 13km strait that runs between Alderney and La Hague, France, as well as more than 1GW of resource from adjacent concessions under the control of the States of Alderney.
Simec Atlantis Energy chief executive Tim Cornelius said: “We are delighted to have received the relevant approvals to transfer this lease which will allow us to now immediately progress with the development of one of the largest tidal power arrays in Europe.
“The territorial waters of Normandy have huge untapped tidal power resource and material progress can now be made in setting up the infrastructure and supply chain required in Normandy to deliver this €50m-plus project.
“This approval will allow us to get on with the task of delivering sustainable power to this region while also creating local jobs and attracting substantial investment in the area.
“Normandie Hydrolienne is committed to ensuring that this array is the catalyst for the installation and delivery of at least 1GW of operational capacity in the Alderney Race, which could be quickly expanded to 2GW with the right investment, government support and collaboration with developers from across France.”