Transmission system operator Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE) has awarded DEME’s French subsidiary SDI an EPCI contract for the export cable that will connect the Leucate Floating Offshore Wind Farm to the power grid, in a consortium with JDR Cables. Once completed, Leucate will be one of the largest offshore floating wind farms in France.

The 30 MW wind farm is currently being developed by Les Eoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL), a consortium comprising Ocean Winds and Caisse de Dépôts, and is located 16 km off the South East coast of France in the Mediterranean Sea.

The export cable will include a submarine cable and an onshore cable section, connecting into the onshore substation near Le Barcarès. Construction activities are set to start in 2022.

Philip Scheers, Business Unit Director at DEME Offshore, comments: “We are delighted to be awarded this important EPCI contract for one of the first floating wind farms in the world. By combining RTE’s experience in grid connections, including export cables, with our extensive track record and expertise in the offshore wind sector and subsea operations, and JDR’s experience in static and dynamic cable manufacturing, the consortium partners are confident we will make this pioneering project a success – really putting the French floating offshore wind industry on the map.”

Gilles Etheimer, RTE Procurement Director, says: “ RTE appreciates the professionalism of SDI (DEME) and JDR when it comes to global performance when addressing the project specific issues, and their proactive approach and willingness to integrate the benefits of new technological developments within their solutions. RTE is convinced that a high level of collaboration between the two consortium members is key for the project success.”

Large-scale commercial wind farms of 250 MW and more are currently in the planning phase. France is targeting floating wind as one of the main sources of clean energy. With plenty of areas of deep water, France is particularly suitable for floating offshore wind developments.