TotalEnergies starts construction of first wind farm in France

May 10, 2022
TotalEnergies has started construction of the 30-MW Eolmed project located more than 18 km off the coast of Gruissan and Port la Nouvelle.

Offshore staff

PARIS, France — TotalEnergies has started construction of the Eolmed project, in which TotalEnergies has a 20% stake. This 30-MW project is located more than 18 km off the coast of Gruissan and Port la Nouvelle (Occitan region). The start of production is expected by 2024.

The wind farm will consist of three 10-MW wind turbines mounted on steel floats and connected to the French Electricity Transmission Network by an underwater cable. 

The project, operated by Qair, meets the objectives of the partners to ensure its good environmental integration and to promote the know-how of the Occitanie Region thanks to the involvement of all the stakeholders. Eolmed is part of the Occitanie Region's strategy to relocate industrial production. The consortium has chosen a joint venture (JV) formed by Matière and Ponticelli to produce the floats in Bagnac-sur-Célé (Lot) and Port-la-Nouvelle (Aude). This JV will benefit from the port's new infrastructure and will mobilize more than 600,000 man-hours of work across Occitania.

This project is part of TotalEnergies’ strategy to develop floating wind energy, which allows access to deeper sites, further from the coast, and to take advantage of greater wind resources.

The company is developing this technology in France and abroad through several projects at different stages of development:

  • France: In addition to the Eolmed project in the Mediterranean Sea, the company is participating in a tender in Brittany to develop a floating wind farm with Green Investment Group and Qair;
  • South Korea: TotalEnergies is developing a portfolio of more than 2 GW of floating offshore wind with Green Investment Group;
  • The U.K.: TotalEnergies is developing the 96-MW Erebus project in the Celtic Sea with its partner Simply Blue Energy; and
  • The U.S.: TotalEnergies has launched the TotalEnergies SBE US JV with Simply Blue Group to contribute to the growth of floating wind in the country.

05.10.2022