Ocean Energy Europe brings together industry players, research entities, and local authorities supporting the sector. Brittany’s new membership of the network marks a significant step in the European recognition of the region’s contribution to the development of tidal energy in Europe, a sector that the French government has recently decided to support and which is expected to be included in the next multi-year energy plan.
As part of its energy transition, Brittany has opted for offshore renewable energies. With high-potential sites such as Fromveur and ideal zones for small-scale tidal turbines, Brittany has been providing unfailing support for the development of tidal turbine technology for several years. In 2016, Brittany adopted a roadmap for the development of offshore wind and marine energies providing for the installation of 500 MW of tidal power by 2030.
It is now joined by the French government, which last July announced its support for the development of the Flowatt tidal turbine pilot farm, whose turbines have been tested and validated at the Paimpol-Bréhat test site in Brittany.
Brittany has two tidal turbine test sites in ria d'Etel for small-scale tidal turbines and in Paimpol-Bréhat for grid-connected oceanic tidal turbines (scale 1). The Paimpol-Bréhat site is one of the Open-C Foundation sites (an offshore renewable energy research infrastructure that coordinates, develops and pilots sea trials). Several types of tidal turbine have been immersed in Brittany to validate their technological choices: SABELLA, Nova Innovation, Guinard Energies SAS and HYDROQUEST.
The region also has a network of Brittany-based companies with the know-how to support the development of tidal energy projects and to back up manufacturers in these sectors. It also has two ports close to the test sites, fully equipped to receive offshore renewable players and operate at lower cost. These two ports are the Brest Port MRE Terminal and the Lorient Service Port.
Through the European TIGER project, Brittany has recently initiated the update of studies on its promising sites. These data will be made available to industries interested in utilising these sites.
“We are extremely happy to welcome Brittany into the Ocean Energy Europe network” said Rémi Gruet, CEO of Ocean Energy Europe. “The region has long been home to projects and technological development and its assets in terms of tidal resource, maritime infrastructure and skills make it a clear go-to for developers. With Normandie and Pays de la Loire already on board, it is yet another clear message for the French Government that French Regions are powering ahead with ocean energy and that the technologies need some targets in the National Energy Strategy.”
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