France picks nine wind projects for overseas territories

FRANCE: Nine wind power projects totalling 95MW (see table) have been selected by the French government to help Corsica and its overseas territories reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.

by Jan Dodd 21 February 2012

France is calling for the establishment of a 20MW project on the the Caribbean island Guadeloupe

According to the terms of the tender, launched in 2010, the installations must include some means of forecasting production and electricity storage in order to enable an increased share of renewables without jeopardising stability on these isolated grids.

"The selection of these projects is important for the development of renewable energy and for the development of innovative projects, combining wind and electricity storage," said energy minister Eric Besson.

Developers will now have to obtain all the necessary authorisations including siting permit and registration under ICPE regulations, which cover environmental protection.

Given the uncertainties of installing turbines in coastal areas, the government has set up a working group to determine if the regulations need to be changed.

All being well, the projects should be commissioned in 2013. France wants its overseas territories to source 50% of their energy needs from renewables by 2020.


Location

Capacity

Project Name

Developer

Corsica

20MW

Meria

Eco Delta Developpement

Guadeloupe

20MW
Petite Place

Aérowatt

 

 

Menard

Sea Energy 4

 

 

Dadoud

Aérowatt

Guyane

15MW

Cr'éole Matiti

Creol'Ex

Martinique

20MW

Pain de Sucre

MG Energy

 

 

Dehaumont

Aérowatt

La Réunion

20MW

Ste-Rose

Alizéo Mascareignes

 

 

St-Leu

Alizéo Mascareignes