The 497MW Fécamp offshore wind farm in France has commenced construction. Mott MacDonald is the lender’s technical advisor on the project on behalf of prospective lenders. The project is the third French offshore wind farm to achieve financing.
Éolien Maritime France (EMF), a consortium of EDF Renouvelables France SAS and Enbridge, along with wpd are the owners of the wind farm.
The project is located in the eastern part of La Manche (the English Channel), off the coast of Haute-Normandie, at approximately 13km northwest of the town of Fécamp. It will consist of 71 Siemens Gamesa 154-7.0MW direct drive wind turbine generators which will be installed on gravity-based foundations. The wind farm is expected to provide enough electricity for up to 770,000 people annually.
As technical advisor, Mott MacDonald provided a due diligence review of the project, identifying technical risks and working with the developer to find suitable mitigations. The consultancy reviewed all technical aspects of the project design, development, construction and operation, as well as reviewing commercials, environment, permitting and health and safety. The consultancy will continue its role during the construction and operational phases of the project.
Will Lamond, Mott MacDonald’s project manager said: “This project is a great achievement for France and a continuation of the development of the French supply chain following the successful completion of the St Nazaire project in 2019. We added value from lessons learned on over 65 global offshore wind projects and were able to advise on how the project compares to current best industry practice in Europe.
“Our extensive experience with offshore wind projects allowed us to provide efficient and effective support and advice to the consortium during the pre-financial close period.”
Construction of the first offshore works is scheduled to commence in early 2022, with completion expected at the end of 2023.