EDF Renewables, a subsidiary of the EDF Group, EIH S.à.r.l, a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc., a North American energy infrastructure company, and wpd , a European renewable energies company, are announcing the launch of construction activity on the Calvados offshore wind farm. This announcement follows the finalisation of financing agreements between the consortium and its financial partners.
The 448 MW Calvados offshore wind project is comprised of 64 wind turbines located more than 10km from the Bessin coastline and occupies a total surface area of approximately 45km². Upon its commissioning, scheduled in 2024, it will generate the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of 630,000 people, or over 90% of the Calvados French department’s population.
The total project cost is estimated at around €2 billion. The majority will be financed through non-recourse project finance debt. The Calvados offshore wind farm holds a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) granted by the French government in June 2018.
The three and a half-year construction project will create over 1,000 direct jobs in Normandy and will contribute to the development of the French’s offshore wind industry.
The project’s wind turbines will be manufactured in Le Havre at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy’s Quai Joannes Couvert plant, which is currently under construction. Upon commissioning scheduled in the first half of 2022, a total of 750 direct and indirect jobs will have been created. The plant will also manufacture the 71 wind turbines for the Fécamp offshore wind farm awarded to the same consortium, which construction began in June 2020. The wind turbines will be assembled at the Port of Le Havre, then, shipped to the installation site. Offshore construction activity is due to commence in 2022.
RTE, which is responsible for connecting the wind farm from the offshore sub-station to Normandy’s electricity grid, will commence its onshore work in March 2021.
The consortium has now signed and sealed its main supply agreements with top-tier providers,
including:
- Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) for the 64 7 MW wind turbines;
- Saipem for the monopile foundations;
- Prysmian Group for the sub-sea cables connecting the wind turbines to the offshore
substation; - Chantiers de l’Atlantique, plus GE Grid Solutions and SDI for the offshore substation.
During its service life, maintenance of the wind farm will create approximately 100 sustainable local jobs based at the port of Caen-Ouistreham.
This project is supported by an extensive public consultation carried out over 10 years with local stakeholders (government entities, elected officials in the Normandy region, coastline communities, local residents’ associations). In-depth environmental studies have been conducted by specialist engineering offices, in tandem with local nature and environmental protection associations. A close and continuous dialogue has also been established with the fishing industry to ensure the coexistence of various maritime users, especially scallop fishermen. Lastly, to reflect the site’s history and our collective duty of remembrance, a working group has been set up with members representing the ONAC-VG (National Office for Veterans and Victims of War) and the University of Caen, owing to the project’s proximity to the D-Day landing beaches.
