The first floating wind turbine from the Éoliennes flottantes du golfe du Lion (EFGL) project, developed by Ocean Winds and Banque des Territoires, has been successfully installed 16 kilometres off the coasts of Leucate and Barcarès. This operation marks the start of the deployment of the three turbines intended to make up the first pilot wind farm in Occitanie, with a unit power of 10 megawatts (MW), making them the most powerful floating machines ever installed in France.
Maritime logistics and enhanced safety
The maritime transport of these wind turbines required exceptional logistical resources. With a total weight of nearly 5,000 tonnes, the first turbine was taken out of Port-La Nouvelle by three tugboats before being towed to its installation site by a high-sea tug. A 500-metre exclusion perimeter around the wind turbine was established for the entire duration of the operation to ensure convoy safety, accompanied by several assistance and surveillance vessels.
The offshore installation of this first wind turbine forms part of the ongoing works started at the end of 2023, notably including the laying of nine anchors and mooring lines, each between 400 and 500 metres long. These pieces of equipment ensure the stability of the floaters for the intended twenty-year operating period.
Interconnection and next assembly step
In the spring, Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE) had already completed the installation of the submarine cable connecting the wind farm to the onshore grid. The installed wind turbine was then able to be connected to synthetic ropes and firmly anchored. The electrical connection of the three turbines, to each other and then to the head of the submarine cable, will be the next key stage of the project.
Onshore, the assembly of the second wind turbine has already been completed and its transfer to sea is scheduled for the coming days. The new port basin at Port-La Nouvelle is being used as the assembly and temporary storage site. At the same time, the third turbine will soon begin assembly on its floater in preparation for offshore installation by the end of August.
Industrial coordination and regional mobilisation
The entire project involves the coordination of specialised industrial players such as Euroports for port handling, Vestas for turbine supply and maintenance, and Eiffage Métal and Smulders for ballasting and maritime transport. The work is carried out under the supervision of Ocean Winds and Banque des Territoires, with the participation of regional and national subcontractors. More than 2,000 visitors have followed the progress of the project at an information point set up at Port-La Nouvelle.
The installation of all three turbines within the planned schedule will allow the Occitanie region to integrate one of the very first pilot floating wind farms in the Mediterranean.
