Floating partners: Ocean Winds and Principle Power link up

The winds of change are blowing through France – quite literally.

Ocean Winds – the joint venture between ENGIE and EDP Renewables – and Principle Power have entered into a pionerring collaboration agreement to cooperate on the design of floating platforms for France’s first commercial-scale floating wind tender.

In September this year, the French Government selected Ocean Winds to participate in the tender process.

Subsequently, the companies have successfully delivered the 25 MW WindFloat Atlantic project currently operating in Portugal and are working together on the 30 MW Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL) project in the French Mediterranean Sea planned for commissioning in 2023. 

French connection

With a capacity of up to 270 MW, the South Brittany floating offshore wind project will be located off the coast of southern Brittany. The French government has already pre-selected Ocean Winds to take part in a competitive dialogue over the coming months and expects to announce a winner next year.

Grzegorz Gorski, Chief Operating Officer of Ocean Winds, said: "Our aim is to deploy the full know-how of Ocean Winds to ensure that the South Brittany floating offshore wind project is a success for France.

"Our 10 plus years of experience developing and operating floating wind projects, including WindFloat 1, which started production in 2011, and WindFloat Atlantic, the world's first semi-submersible floating wind farm, makes us uniquely qualified to deliver this project and generate a positive impact for the French industry, local communities, and other stakeholders."

Aaron Smith, Chief Commercial Officer of Principle Power, explained: "Principle Power is the leading supplier of floating wind technology in the world, with turbines totaling 75 MW operating on our WindFloat platforms."

"Our early involvement in this project ensures that we can bring our cumulative experience to design WindFloat units that address the unique conditions of the South Brittany site in a way that is robust, competitive, and in harmony with the local environment, he added."