Ocean Winds has completed the assembly of the first turbine for its Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL) floating offshore wind farm, marking a key milestone for the project located in the Mediterranean Sea.
Developed in partnership with Banque des Territoires, the EFGL project is being constructed at Port-La Nouvelle, where the first 10-megawatt Vestas turbine—currently the most powerful ever installed in France—has been mounted on its floating foundation. The terminal used for the assembly was built by the Occitanie Region to support offshore wind activity.
“The assembly of EFGL’s first turbine reflects the ambition driving offshore wind development in France,” said Marc Hirt, Ocean Winds’ country manager for France. “This milestone – achieved in close collaboration with our partners and local teams – is a strong signal of our commitment to accelerating floating wind in the Mediterranean.”
In the coming weeks, the remaining two turbines will be assembled and towed 16 kilometres offshore from Leucate and Barcarès for final installation at sea. The EFGL project aims to test and demonstrate technologies and logistics associated with floating offshore wind farms.
“Bringing together such a complex assembly operation within a port environment, on floating foundations, is a technical and logistical success for all those involved,” said EFGL project director Jérémy de Barbarin. “It’s a milestone for the EFGL project and for the Occitanie Region, which is confirming its role as a forerunner in renewable marine energy.”
EFGL is jointly owned by Ocean Winds and Banque des Territoires. While serving as a demonstration site, it is also expected to provide operational and environmental data to guide the development of future projects, including the 250MW Eoliennes Flottantes d’Occitanie (EFLO) initiative.
This development comes shortly after Ocean Winds installed the first turbine at its EMYN project on France’s Atlantic coast. The company currently has four offshore wind farms under construction or development in France, with a combined capacity of 1.3 gigawatts—enough to supply over 2 million households with renewable electricity.
