French Tidal Race Picks Up Pace

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - France's tidal energy ambitions moved forward recently as the leading companies looking to dominate this budding sector were revealed.

The date for Expression of Interest (EoI) for developing potential French tidal energy farms closed in mid May, and the lists of applicants and consortia for the two main regions - Raz Blanchard and the Fromveur Passage - are mostly French-based developers proposing to use tidal technology from largely non-French companies.

For the most popular Raz-Blanchard region, off the coast of Normandy, the applicants are:

• GDF - Alstom

• EDF - DCNS - Open Hydro

• Akuo Marine - Geocean - Alstom

• Unite - Siemens

• Searieus : CMN - Hydroquest - VALOREM

• Blue Shark Atlantique : Blue Shark Power System - Chantier COUACH

• Hydro Parc Flottant Raz Blanchard : Tidalys - JP Energie environnement -- Strukton

For the Fromveur Passage, off the coast of Brittany, there was one application:

• GDF -- Sabella

French President, François Hollande, kicked off the drive to make France the leader in European tidal energy in October last year, announcing tenders for up to four pilot projects off the Brittany and Normandy coasts. He claimed tidal could contribute up to 3,000-megawatts (MW) in clean energy.

The aim is to create three or four tidal farms, each comprising 5-10 turbines. Winning bidders will be liable for subsidies from the state amounting to €30 million ($40.8 million) per project, while electricity generated will be purchased by state-owned energy giant, Electricite de France S.A. (EPA:EDF) (EDF) (Paris, France), at a set tariff of €173 ($235) per megawatt hour (MWh). For additional information, see October 7, 2013, article - French President Launches Tidal Power Race.

France is estimated to have Europe's second largest tidal energy potential after the U.K..

At the start of this year, EDF announced that it will commission an 8 MW tidal power station off the coast of Paimpol-Brehat off the coast of northern Brittany in the middle of this year. The demonstration project will become the largest tidal array in the world once it is commissioned, and will be capable of powering over 4,000 households.For additional information, see January 28, 2014, article - France to Commission World's Largest Grid Connected Tidal Power Project.

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