ENGIE and EDPR are confirming their ambitions in offshore wind to establish a wind farm offering capacity of 250 to 750 megawatts (MW), off the coast of Dunkirk, in France. Their joint pre-qualification bid will give them the opportunity to extend and strengthen a long-term relationship on this strategic market, which draws on the high wind energy potential found off the coast, France boasting the second highest potential in Europe. These developments will make it possible for France to consolidate its leadership in the offshore wind energy sector in France and, in so doing, contribute to the achievement of key energy transition targets, i.e., 3,000 MW of free-standing offshore wind energy by 2023.
ENGIE and EDPR have previously worked together on free-standing offshore wind, through projects in Dieppe-Le Tréport (500 MW) and the Islands of Yeu and Noirmoutier (500 MW), as well as in floating off-shore, with the Leucate pilot wind farm project in the Mediterranean (24 MW) and as co-investing partners to the WindFloat Atlantic Project in Portugal (25 MW).
This shared experience gives the consortium's bid unique solidity, based on strong technical and economical capacity. The project's integration into the Territory of Dunkirk, in particular in terms of optimising the zone's occupation and taking into account environmental challenges, along with its price competitiveness will form the bid's key strengths.
"With an energy mix relying more than 60% on renewable energies in France, ENGIE is a major player in the energy transition in the country. Already a leader in on-shore wind, we hope to show, with this bid, that we are actively contributing to the consolidation of a French offshore wind industry, whether free-standing or floating", stated Gwénaëlle Huet, Managing Director of ENGIE France Renewables.
"EDP Renewables is at the cutting edge of wind energy at the global level. Our operational capacity, our experience on different markets and under a variety of conditions, and our ability to manage the projects in which we are involved make us the ideal partner for this project", stated Joao Manso Neto, CEO of EDPR.
ENGIE has more than 20 years' experience in offshore wind, gained through building and operating deep-sea offshore wind farms, and building sub-stations for offshore wind parks throughout the world. In addition to the projects carried out with EDPR, ENGIE is developing the Mermaid Project in Belgium (approximately 250 MW).
