Corio, Qair and TotalEnergies join forces for Mediterranean Sea tender
A consortium of Corio Generation, Qair and TotalEnergies has been pre-selected by the French Directorate General for Energy and Climate (DGEC) to participate in a competitive tender to develop two floating windfarms in the Mediterranean Sea.
The two projects of about 250 MW each could supply enough clean energy to meet the annual electricity consumption of almost one million people, according to the French government.
Opportunity to develop an innovative value chain
The Qair, TotalEnergies and Corio Generation consortium is delighted with this new call for tenders, which will help to achieve France’s objective of 40 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050.
The partners will support the development of a local Mediterranean industrial value chain for offshore wind power. To this end, the consortium plans to consult regional stakeholders, promote the local economy and ensure communities benefit from employment opportunities.
Combining complementary expertise
The consortium will leverage each company’s technical expertise, strong financial capacity and extensive experience in the offshore wind sector:
Corio Generation, a global specialist offshore wind developer with 20+ GW of capacity under development worldwide, including 2.5 GW in floating wind. Corio is a portfolio company, operating on a standalone basis, of Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG).
Qair, a European renewable energy producer, is a French pioneer in floating wind energy. With over 30 years of experience and a strong local presence in France, Qair operates 1 GW of assets and is developing a pipeline of 20 GW.
TotalEnergies, a multi-energy company, has expertise in offshore operations and maintenance through its historical activities. TotalEnergies is already developing offshore wind projects with a combined capacity of more than 11 GW, including more than 2 GW of floating projects in France, the United Kingdom and South Korea.
Jonathan Cole, CEO of Corio Generation said: “Corio Generation is delighted to combine forces with TotalEnergies and Qair. We truly believe France can become a world leader in the development of offshore wind.
“With its deep waters and industrial heritage, the Mediterranean is fantastically placed to benefit from floating wind technology, creating significant job and investment opportunities. Deploying new projects at scale will be critical to realising the full potential of France’s wind resources and unlocking a significant clean, reliable and affordable source of electricity for generations to come.”
Jérôme Billerey, France Managing Director at Qair said: “We are happy to bring once again our partners TotalEnergies and Corio together around complementary expertise in the development, financing and construction of offshore wind projects. In association with the Mediterranean territories, we will be keen to participate in the acceleration of the energy transition by developing locally the French floating offshore wind industry to come.”
Olivier Terneaud, VP Offshore Wind at TotalEnergies said: “After Britanny’s tender, we are delighted to renew our partnership with Qair and Corio to contribute to the development of floating wind in the Mediterranean and thus to the energy transition in France. If successful, we intend to mobilise our collective expertise to provide the best solutions to meet the technical, commercial and societal challenges of the project.”
Proven cooperation in offshore wind
The consortium’s joint bid is based on a productive track-record and partnership history, including development of the following projects:
The 250 MW floating windfarm tender in France’s South Brittany region (Qair, TotalEnergies and Corio Generation)
The 30 MW Eolmed floating offshore wind pilot project in France (Qair and TotalEnergies)
Over 2 GW of floating wind projects in South Korea (Corio and TotalEnergies)
The 2 GW West of Orkney Windfarm project in Scotland (Corio and TotalEnergies)
The 1.5 GW Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind project in the UK (Corio and TotalEnergies)
About the consortium:
Corio Generation
Corio Generation is a specialist offshore wind business, dedicated to harnessing renewable energy worldwide. With a unique blend of sector-leading expertise and deep access to long-term capital, we work closely with our partners in the creation and management of projects from origination, development and construction, and into operations.
Our 20+ GW offshore wind development portfolio is one of the largest in the world, spanning established and emerging markets, as well as floating and traditional fixed-bottom technologies. These next generation offshore wind projects will help form the backbone of the net-zero global energy system while meeting the energy needs of communities and corporate offtakers sustainably, reliably, safely and responsibly.
Corio Generation is a portfolio company of Macquarie Asset Management operating on a standalone basis. For more information visit coriogeneration.com and follow us on Twitter @CorioGeneration
Total Energies
TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.
Qair
Qair is a European renewable energy producer, which develops, finances, builds and operates wind, solar, hydroelectric and green hydrogen projects on its own behalf. Committed to the energy transition in 21 countries across Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia, Qair’s 450 employees operate 1 GW of assets and develop a pipeline of over 20 GW, including 2 GW awarded in Scotland. Qair aims to become an independent leader in responsible energy.
Media contact:
Corio Generation
Will Henley, Head of Communications
Phone: +44 7840 850 183
Email: will.henley@coriogeneration.com