October 5, 2020
Aarhus, Denmark and Montpellier, France

MHI Vestas Offshore Wind has been selected as the preferred wind turbine supplier for the EolMed floating project and will supply three V164-10.0 MW turbines.

The emergence of floating offshore wind in France took another step forward, as Qair (formerly known as Quadran Énergies Marines) tabbed MHI Vestas Offshore Wind to supply three V164-10.0 MW turbines for the EolMed pilot project.

The project will contribute to the unique V164 cumulative experience, as the floating offshore wind industry sets its sights on commercial-scale developments in the coming decade. It will be the second floating project in which the V164 nominal capacity is brought to 10 MW. With more than 160 MW of V164 planned for floating operations, MHI Vestas looks forward to further accelerating the reduction in the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of floating offshore wind.

“In signing with our partner Qair, MHI Vestas confirms its commitment and leadership in floating offshore wind to the surging French floating market,” said MHI Vestas CEO, Philippe Kavafyan. “The EolMed project adds a significant building block as we will deploy our V164-10.0 MW turbine atop Ideol’s floating barge foundation. This collaboration with Qair and Ideol will undoubtedly help accelerate the floating sector from demonstration to commercial-scale projects.”

Louis Blanchard, CEO of Qair, added: “MHI Vestas is an undisputed leader in the offshore wind industry, and we are happy that they join us now to work for the EolMed project. At Qair, as a producer of energy from renewable sources, we are committed to accelerate the global energy transition. We have no doubt that having MHI Vestas as a preferred wind turbine supplier for EolMed will help to bring this exciting and ambitious project to life.”

The V164-10.0 MW turbines will be installed on Ideol’s foundation and will be located in the Mediterranean Sea approximately 18 km off the coast of Gruissan in the Aude region.

The combination of proven technologies such as Ideol’s patented Damping Pool foundation and MHI Vestas’ V164-10.0 MW turbine can potentially enable a quicker route to market for floating wind projects in Europe and Asia, where MHI Vestas deploys strong operational presences.

Following the announcements for Groix & Belle Ile and Eoliennes Flottantes du golfe du Lion (EFGL), the 30 MW EolMed project is the third floating offshore wind project for MHI Vestas in France and the sixth floating project overall.

EolMed is scheduled for installation in 2023.

For further information:
Julie Dardelet
Comm’on agency
T: 06 33 85 96 83
E-mail : julie@commonagency.fr

About MHI Vestas Offshore Wind

MHI Vestas Offshore Wind is a joint venture between Vestas Wind Systems A/S 50% and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) 50%. The company’s focus is to design, manufacture, install and service wind turbines for the offshore wind industry. The company aims to create sustainable value through offshore wind power by driving capital and operating savings and increasing the power output of wind turbines. An innovative force in offshore wind since its inception in 2014, the company is guided by its founding principles of collaboration, trust, technology and commitment.

Six (6) floating offshore wind projects to date:

• WindFloat 1 (Portugal) – 1 x V80-2.0 MW installed in 2011 (decommissioned)
• WindFloat Atlantic (Portugal) – 3 x V164-8.4 MW (currently being installed)
• Kincardine (Scotland) – 5 x V164-9.5 MW (installed in 2020 and 2021)
• EFGL (France) – 3 x V164-10.0 MW (planned installation in 2022)
• Groix & Belle Ile (France) – 3 x V164-9.5 MW (planned installation in 2023)
• EolMed (France) – 3 x V164-10.0 MW (planned installation in 2023)

About EolMed

EolMed is one of the four floating offshore project farms awarded in 2016 by the French state with the ADEME agency providing partial financing. The project is located in the Mediterranean Sea off Gruissan and Port la Nouvelle, and was developed by and is majority owned by Qair Marine (formerly known as Quadran Energies Marines), a subsidiary of Qair, a leader in the independent production of energy from renewable sources cumulating 30 years of experience. Eolmed has also welcomed AREC, CALEN, SEMPER, AMIDEOLE among others, as shareholders and partners.

About ADEME  

Here at ADEME – the French Environment & Energy Management Agency, responsible for the energy transition in France – we are firmly committed to fighting global warming and the depletion of our natural resources. On all fronts, we mobilise citizens, economic actors and territories towards a fairer, more harmonious, low carbon and resource-efficient society. Whatever the field – energy, air, circular economy, food, waste disposal, soils, etc. – we advise, facilitate and help finance many projects, from research to solutions sharing. At every level, our expertise and forecasting capacities serve to guide and inform public policies. ADEME is a public agency under the joint authority of the Ministry for an Ecological Transition and the Ministry for Higher Education, Research and Innovation. More at www.ademe.fr or @ademe.