Simec Atlantis has taken a step towards first megawatts of tidal power off Normandy after getting approval from authorities to transfer a 12MW development licence from Engie.
The firm is part of a joint venture along with Normandy development and investment agencies and local industrial groups that ultimately hope to unlock “multi-hundreds of megawatts” of tidal power in Raz Blanchard, which has France’s strongest tidal current.
Atlantis owns 49 per cent of the Normandie Hydroliennes joint venture and thinks it has the potential to enable up to 2GW of tidal power from Alderney Race, the eight-mile strait that runs between Alderney and La Hague, France
CEO Tim Cornelius said approval to transfer the lease “will allow us to immediately progress with the development of one of the largest tidal power arrays in Europe.”
“The territorial waters of Normandy have huge untapped tidal power resource and material progress can now be made in setting up the infrastructure and supply chain required in Normandy to deliver this €50+m project,” he added.
“This approval will allow us to get on with the task of delivering sustainable power to this region while also creating local jobs and attracting substantial investment in the area.”Â
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