Commissioning of three new floating wind turbines in the Mediterranean

This 30 MW pilot farm is "one of the few parks in the world" of floating turbines, explained Marc Hirt, the managing director for France of the operator Ocean Winds, during a sea expedition departing from Port-la-Nouvelle (Aude) at the foot of the immense 186 m high windmills.

This park aims to test this emerging technology which needs large-scale deployment to lower the industrialization costs of these floats, explained Marc Hirt, the managing director for France of the operator Ocean Winds.

After final tests, full commissioning is scheduled for the end of the week.

"In places where the depths are significant, floating wind turbines allow us to move away from the coast and escape criticism regarding the landscape," explains the head of Ocean Winds, a joint venture dedicated to offshore wind power created by the French company Engie and the Portuguese company EDPR.

According to him, the potential for installing floating wind turbines "is unlimited in France and around the world".

In the case of these three Floating Wind Turbines in the Gulf of Lion (EFGL) of 10 MW each, their steel floats, still prototypes, are anchored with three large chains at a depth of 70 m, 16 km from the coast.

The investment in the project, which is emerging after ten years of preparation, is not disclosed, but the electricity produced is sold to EDF at 240 euros per MWh, well above the market price.

In the French Mediterranean, two other pilot floating wind farms are in place: Provence Grand Large opposite Marseille, already in operation, with a slightly lower power than EFGL (25 MW), and EolMed from the French operator Qair, energized but not yet in operation, off Gruissan (Aude) a few cables from EFGL and with an equal power (30 MW).