First commercial floating wind farm off the coast of Hérault and Aude: the winner finally chosen

The deployment of offshore wind turbines will begin in 2025 and will continue until 2050. DR/Ocean Winds

The Ministry of Energy has chosen Ocean Winds and Eolien en Mer Participation to build a wind farm off the coast of Port-la-Nouvelle and Agde by 2031, producing enough to supply 450,000 residents with electricity.

Marc Ferracci, the Minister for Industry and now Energy in the new Bayrou government, announced on Friday, December 27, the two winners of the calls for tender for floating wind farms in the Mediterranean, known as “AO6”. Each one is expected to produce 250 megawatts of electricity off the coast, enough to power 450,000 inhabitants.

There were 13 major global energy groups or consortia that applied, and only two winners remain. For the project located in Occitanie, in the area known as “Narbonnnaise”, off the coast of Hérault and the P.O, between Agde and Port-la-Nouvelle, the big favorite, who was in the short-list that appeared in recent weeks, wins.

Carbon neutrality and energy sovereignty

This is the grouping composed of Ocean Winds (a joint venture owned by ENGIE and the Portuguese EDP Renewables) and Éolien en Mer Participation (EMP), a 100% subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations. For the second project, in PACA, in the area known as “Golfe de Fos”, 25 km off the coast of Fos-sur-Mer, the company Éoliennes Méditerranée Grand Large, of which EDF Renouvelables and Maple Power are shareholders, won the contract.

The minister underlines, in a press release, “the importance of these wind projects, which combine a green industrial sector and the response to the challenges of the energy transition”.

With two objectives: energy sovereignty and, in the face of the climate emergency, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050.

Concretely, what will happen off the coast of Occitanie until the middle of the century ? Chronologically, the year 2025 will mark the grand debut of offshore floating wind technology, chosen because the seabed is deep and to best capture the force of the wind.

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Constructions that are accelerating until 2050

Next year, two experimental parks of three wind turbines each, currently being completed, will see the light of day. The first, EFGL (floating wind turbines in the Gulf of Lion), off the coast of Barcarès (66) and Leucate (11), is being carried out by Ocean Wings: “it's a pilot project to validate the technology”Thomas Bordron, EFLG's development manager, recently explained to us. In the process, the EolMed project, off the coast of Gruissan and Port-la-Nouvelle (Aude) will be launched. They will produce 10MW per wind turbine.

Then, by 2031, the “AO6” commercial parks will come into service, with 250MW produced by ten to fifteen wind turbines for each field. And, already, in 2035, the “Narbonnaise” and the “Golfe de Fos” will triple in volume, with an extension of 500MW each! That is between 30 and 40 additional steel giants.

The State then wants to accelerate with between 4000 and 7500 MW and several hundred wind turbines, which could provide 25% of electricity consumption in France by 2050…

The winners are committed to recycling and regional structuring of the sector

The winners each committed to recycling wind turbines – including blades and magnets – and to entrusting 10% of the services of studies, manufacturing of components, works and activities relating to the operation of SMEs, the ministry also indicates. They will offer “at least €10 million in financing or participatory investment and will mobilize 400,000 hours of professional integration for the benefit of people experiencing social difficulties”.

Finally, the winners signed the “commitment charter to contribute to the regional structuring of a French industrial sector”, supported by local stakeholders defending renewable marine energy, such as WindOcc in Occitanie and Sudeole in Paca.

Carole Delga, the President of the Region, said no different, reacting as soon as the winners were announced: “This officialized commercial wind farm reinforces Port-la-Nouvelle and Occitanie as strongholds of the energy transition and rewards the region's commitment to the development of the “-

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