EDF - Our Strategy

• Predictability: tides can be calculated in advance
  
• Water density: nearly 1,000 times denser than air, water enables the use of more compact machines

EDF is testing a marine current system off the coast of Paimpol-Bréhat (Côtes d’Armor, France). The technology used does not require undersea work and allows equipment to be raised out of the water for maintenance operations. This pilot project is the culmination of over four years of research and partnerships with local players in the Paimpol-Bréhat area. It has set the stage for other technology tests led by EDF.

With a total capacity of 2 to 3 MW, the tidal turbine system at Paimpol-Bréhat will be connected to the grid and brought on line in 2012. It will enable EDF to test the technology under real conditions, to work out its profitability and to establish an administrative and legal framework to promote the development of a French subsidiary.

The Rance tidal power plant (Ille-et-Vilaine, France) is an example of a large-scale industrial operation. For over 40 years this EDF facility has been generating the equivalent of the electricity consumption of a city the size of Rennes each year. It accounts for 90% of the electricity generated in Brittany and 3.5% of the electricity consumed in the four départements of the region.

EDF is committed to carrying out thorough and detailed research into recovering energy from the sea. By working closely with specialised bodies, including the French research institute for exploitation of the sea (Institut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer – IFREMER), the Group is strengthening its expertise in this area.