RWE and Valorem have signed a partnership agreement to jointly respond to the call for tenders for the offshore wind project off the island of Oléron (AO7), France.
As part of this call for tenders, a landed offshore wind farm with an installed capacity of about 1,000 MW will be deployed about forty kilometers from the island of Oléron for commissioning by 2032-33.
The project reception area covers a maximum area of 180 square kilometres and has an average depth of about 60 metres. This is the offshore wind project furthest from the French coast and with significant sea depths. The selected area is also outside the Gironde Estuary and Pertuis Sea Marine Natural Park, which was advocated by RWE and Valorem during the public debate, the companies said.
The call for tenders was launched in October 2022 and a designation of the winner is expected in 2024.
RWE and Valorem will jointly participate in the competitive dialogue, the next step in the tender process following prequalification.
Bertrand Guidez, Deputy CEO of the VALOREM Group, said: “VALOREM is a pioneer in green energies in France with nearly 30 years of experience in the development of regional energy resources. As a company with a mission, VALOREM likes to develop innovation around its projects – whether in citizen financing, professional integration or environmental preservation solutions. We are particularly proud of this partnership, especially with a renowned player as ambitious as RWE, which concretely affirms our position as a co-investor in the development of offshore wind projects. We will try to carry out together a real territorial project and submit a robust, competitive and attractive offer.”
RWE said that France is one of the company’s main strategic markets. The company is positioned on all French offshore wind power tenders, whether with technology installed off the Normandy coast with the AO8 and Charentaise with the AO7, or through floating technologies south of Brittany (AO5) and off the Mediterranean (AO6).
“We already have more than 200 employees in France, present throughout the country and bring to the daily life all the expertise of a group resolutely committed to the development of renewable energies,” Pierre Peysson, RWE’s Director France Offshore Wind Energy, said.
“As the most experienced operator in offshore wind in France, we are proud to join forces for this call for tenders with VALOREM, a key player in the territory where the future offshore wind farm will be located. Together, we will defend an offer designed in close consultation with the territory to propose an innovative, competitive project, respectful of the environment and users of the sea, while offering many economic and industrial benefits. This partnership also echoes our shared history of close cooperation between RWE and VALOREM in onshore wind power during the 2000s.”
