French group EDF has achieved a 70 per cent increase in gross renewable energy capacity over the last five years, the company has announced.
The company’s renewable energy subsidiary, EDF Renouvelables has achieved an average growth rate of 12 per cent per year and made “several significant advances” in 2019.
EDF reported that 2019 was a record year for the company in onshore wind with nearly 200 MW of commissioned capacity and a similar volume under construction. In addition, the company has completed the initial phases of its “Plan Solaire”, which aims to help EDF establish a leading position in the French solar market.
“Thanks to these successes, EDF Renouvelables has just passed the symbolic milestone of 2000 MW gross PV and wind capacity in France,” EDF said in a statement. “This acceleration in renewable energy forms part of EDF’s CAP 2030 strategy, which aims to double the Group’s global renewable capacity, taking it to a net 50 GW by 2030.”
EDF has also established a foothold in France’s offshore wind energy sector and recently announced the start of construction of the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm with Canadian partner Enbridge.
With installed capacity of 480 MW, Saint-Nazaire will be the first to be built off the French coast and is expected to come into service in 2022. Construction on the Fécamp and Courseulles-sur-Mer projects is expected to begin in 2020.
In addition, a consortium headed by EDF Renouvelables won the third government auction for the 600 MW Dunkerque project.
Bruno Bensasson, EDF Group’s Senior Executive Vice President, Renewable Energies and Chairman and CEO of EDF Renewables, commented: “We are seeing a strong growth in our activities in France thanks to our teams’ commitment to working at a local level. For EDF Renouvelables, 2019 brought an acceleration around the world and a double rebalancing in terms of technologies – with more solar and offshore wind farms – and geography – with stronger footprint in Europe and emerging countries.”
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