Dec. 2 (Bloomberg) — The French government chose DCNS SA
and EDF Energies Nouvelles SA to test tidal energy generation
off the Normandy coast after calling for interested parties.
DCNS, which owns a majority stake in OpenHydro Group Ltd.,
and EDF will install seven turbines, each with 2 megawatts, that
are expected to be connected to the grid in 2018, the companies
said today in a joint statement. The project will produce enough
electricity to power about 13,000 homes.
The two have worked together on tidal energy since 2009.
The project will allow OpenHydro to respond to future calls for
tenders for tidal turbine arrays in France and elsewhere,
Chairman Thierry Kalanquin said in the e-mailed statement.
OpenHydro and EDF said in July they planned to connect two
turbines to the grid from 2015 to test long-term reliability of
the technology. The project, again off the coast of Brittany,
follows testing of one of OpenHydro’s turbines with EDF at the
same site between December 2013 and April 2014.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Louise Downing in London at
ldowning4@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Reed Landberg at
landberg@bloomberg.net
Tony Barrett, Alastair Reed