EDF, Enbridge & wpd Begin Construction at 500 MW Offshore Wind Farm

EDF Renewables, Enbridge, and wpd have announced the launch of the 500 MW Fécamp offshore wind farm off the coast of northwest France.

EDF Renewables, a subsidiary of the EDF Group, Enbridge, a leading energy infrastructure company in North America, and wpd, a European renewable energy company, have announced the launch of the 500 MW Fécamp offshore wind farm following the finalisation of financing agreements between the consortium and its financial partners during the weekend.

The 500 MW offshore wind farm will be comprised of 71 wind turbines located between 13 km and 22 km from the coast of northwest France. Project commissioning is scheduled in 2023. The power generated by the wind farm will provide enough annual electricity to meet the power needs of 770,000 people or over 60 percent of the Seine-Maritime department’s population.

Bruno Bensasson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EDF Renewables said “I am delighted to announce the construction of the second French offshore wind farm in Fécamp. 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. 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 50 GW net. This is how we will build a CO2-neutral energy future as well.”

The total project capital cost is estimated to be EUR 2 billion, of which the majority will be financed through non-recourse project-level debt. Fécamp offshore wind farm is underpinned by a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) granted by the state in June 2018.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has been selected for supplying the 71 wind energy turbines for the project.

Achim Berge Olsen, wpd Group Executive director and CEO of wpd offshore declared “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 & 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.”