Meanwhile,
Official launch first floating wind:
Wind turbines off Port-de-Bouc, December 7, 2023 in the Bouches-du-Rhône (AFP / Christophe Simon)
17 km from the closest coasts, invisible despite the blue sky, the three floating wind turbines of “Provence Grand Large”, gigantic structures of 174 m above the waves, are the first officially put into service in France, off Port-de-Bouc (Bouches-du-Rhône). Meanwhile,
“It is the first floating wind farm in France. Therefore, and the most powerful,” said Christine de Jouette, director of this wind farm for EDF Power Solutions, ex-EDF renewable, bearer of this program with the Canadian Enbridge on Monday. Meanwhile,
Powerful therefore. Consequently, except Monday, for the official launch official launch first floating wind of the production of this wind farm: on this heat wave day, the blades of the three monsters were desperately motionless, deprived of the slightest breeze. Nevertheless,
“Each wind turbine will be able to turn on average at 8.3 megawatts”. Nevertheless, or 25 megawatts with three, enough to provide a city of 45,000 inhabitants (equivalent to that of Martigues) for a year in electricity, said the leader of the EDF subsidiary. Similarly,
“It is a technology that allows very good stability” despite the wind and the swell, “the floats work like an inverted pendulum”, continues Ms. However, de tot, schematizing with her hands the wind turbine behind her, several hundred meters.
Of a total weight of 3. 500 tonnes, held by two anchor official launch first floating wind lines, each wind turbine is equipped with a system of floats which makes it possible to remove the wind farm from the coasts, thus preserving the seabed from the maintenance of the classic wind turbines.
Unlike those whose mast is planted in marine soil. which represent the majority of wind turbines at sea in France, those floating can be installed in deep and more windy areas. A necessity in the Mediterranean, where the sea soil quickly reaches 100 meters deep.
– “Blessed country of the gods” –
“The wind at sea is of very good quality. it is not embarrassed by the mountains or the trees. There is a very beautiful aerodynamic flow, a strong wind to turn the blades. The rotor rotates from 25 m/s” (10 km/h), commented the director.
“We are in a country blessed by the gods. A very official launch first floating wind windy country, 10 m/s winds from the northwest with the Mistral, and from the Southeast. And we have a blessed sea soil for anchors. which is not very hard”, she continues: thanks to this, it will be possible to produce “predictablely, that is to say that as a function of the weather we can predict our production”.
Wind turbines off Port-de-Bouc, December 7, 2023 in the Bouches-du-Rhône (AFP / Christophe Simon)
This farm, whose concession is reserved for the next 40 years, has a planned lifespan of 20 years, for a total investment of 300 million euros funded for a third party by equity, a third by subsidies (national, European and local) and a third by official launch first floating wind banks, said EDF Power Solutions.
Winner of a national call for tenders in 2016. the energy company has tested this floating system since November 2024: over this period, he has already injected 30 gigawatts/hour on the electricity network to the continent.
EDF Power Solutions has since won two other tenders. especially for a park of 19 floating wind turbines producing 250 megawatts by 2031, also in the Gulf of Fos.
With its 2,800 km of coastline, France had decided to embark on wind at sea in 2009. Floating wind turbines. technology still immature but of which Europe is pioneer, won in the Mediterranean where the sea floor descends quickly.
After Provence Grand Large. two other floating wind farms are expected very soon in the Mediterranean: the Eolmed project off Gruissan (Aude), promoted by the independent producer Quair, with a 20% total participation; official launch first floating wind and that of the floating wind turbines of the Gulf of Lion, off Leucate (Aude) and Barcarès (Pyrénées-Orientales), carried by Ocean Winds, cotentreprise dedicated to wind at sea held by Engie and the Portuguese group EDPR.
Official launch first floating wind
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