France leans further into floating wind as EDF hits array's on-switch
Ground-breaking PGL array is being deployed with tension-leg mooring systems
A floating offshore wind array has begun producing electricity to the French national grid for the first time with the start of production from the Provence Grand Large (PGL) array, according to developer EDF Renewables.
The renewables arm of France's energy giant partners said that the first of three Siemens Gamesa 8MW turbines that make up the PGL array has started delivering megawatt-hours of power to the national electricity grid.
Provence Grande Large also stands out for the choice of a tension-leg mooring system which was supplied by Dutch floating systems specialist SBM Offshore and French energy research institute IFPEN.
The system, installed at a water depth of 100 metres, purports to offer reduced motion and lower stress on turbine components.
The turbines are connected to the French national grid by a 19km submarine cable and a nine-kilometre underground cable supplied by Milan-based Prysmian
EDF is partnered on the 24MW project by a joint venture between Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investment) and a subsidiary of Enbridge, also of Canada.
France this week said twelve potential bidders have pre-qualified for its ninth offshore wind tender, which will offer up to 2.9GW of floating capacity on four sites positioned as extensions to four previous tenders.
A first wave of French offshore wind project has suffered some heavy delays, but 2024 is proving to be a year of milestones.