Eiffage wins contract for three electrical substations for French offshore wind farms worth over €1,5 billion

The total amount of the contract is more than 1,5 billion euros.

The contract covers the construction of the foundations (jackets) and the upper parts of the substations (topsides), which contain the electrical equipment. The jackets will measure approximately 115 meters high, 25 meters wide and 35 meters long for the Bretagne Sud project, and approximately 110 meters high, 45 meters wide and 50 meters long for the Narbonnaise Sud-Hérault and Fos projects. The topsides will weigh approximately 5.000 tonnes and will measure more than 20 meters high, 35 meters wide and 70 meters long.

Each substation will have a capacity of 750 MW. These three substations will ultimately enable the connection of more than 2 gigawatts of carbon-free electricity to the electricity transmission grid, thus significantly contributing to European carbon neutrality objectives and the energy transition.

The various components of these substations will be entirely manufactured in France and Europe, in the workshops of Smulders and its industrial partners. The jackets will be assembled at the Eiffage Métal site in Fos-sur-Mer (France), while the topsides will be assembled at the Vlissingen site (the Netherlands).

This new project is part of RTE's stated desire to mobilize the French and European industrial fabric to structure an industrial sector for the connection of offshore wind power and increase its economic benefits in France.

It also strengthens Eiffage's position as a European player in the development of renewable energies and its strategy of strengthening its position in offshore wind power with the recent acquisition of HSM Offshore Energy. Smulders has completed 40 substations and more than 2,500 transition pieces. Through its various expertise, the Group has notably worked on the Dogger Bank, Hollandse Kust, Saint-Nazaire and Provence Grand Large wind farms.