french wind power generation programme eole 2005

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Renewable Energy 16 (1999) 805-810

French Wind Power Generation Programme EOLE 2 5

Results of the first call for tenders

A-R. LAALI , M. BENARD

Electricil e’ e Fr ance EDF )

* &D D i v i s i o n - M a c h i n e s D e p a r t m e n t - 6 Q u a i Wari er - 78401 Chatou - France

EDF-GDF Servi ces Div ision - DOMDept.-Tour Frankli n - 92042 Paris La d t e n s e

ABSTRACT

:

EOL E 2 005 has been launched in July 199 6 by the French M inistry of Industry, Electricite

de France and ADEME (Agency for Environment and Energy Management). The Ministries of Research and

Environment are participating ah.0 in this programme. The purpose is to create an initial market in France

for wind power genera tion in order to evalu ate the cost-effectiveness and the comp etitiveness of the wind

energy compared to other energy sources by

2005.

The installed capacity will reach at least 250 MW and

possibly 50 0 MW . 0 199 8 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

1

BACKGROUND

The development of wind energy in Europe during the 80s and 90s has been performed mainly in countries

operating largely fossil fired power plants and with a moderate amoun t of the renewable energy. Th e

installed capacity of hydraulic power, 25000 MW (23500 MW by EDF) and the production of 70 TWh

electricity (17 of national consumption) by a cost-effective renewable energy, did not help to promote the

development of wind energy in France during this period. Fossil fired power plants produce 5 of the total

electricity in this country. The total installed capacity is also large enough to ensure the national consumption

and the EDF exports to other countries. So there is no need for more capacity and the EDF kWh price is one

of the lowest in Europe.

Nevertheless the first experiences of wind energy in France goes back to some forty years ago. Promoted by

EDF in the years 195 8 to 1 962 the first MW class wind turbines were installed at Nogent Le Roi ( 800 kW )

and at St. Rem y des Landes (100 0 kW). In the seventies the French Atomic Comm ission carried out some

experiments. In the late seventies some French manufacturers (Aerowatt an d Ratier-Figeac) with EDF and

ADE ME (Agency for Environment and Energy Management) collaboration installed a few machines (100 -

150 kW ). These experiences were not very successful. The material and the design tools used at that time

were of course very far from the current know how in this field.

199 6 was a turning point for wind energy in France. In this year, EDF, the French M inistry of Industry, and

ADEME decided to collaborate in order to develop 250 500 MW of wind power over the next ten years in

France. The wind farms are to be installed and operated by independent power producers chosen through a

tendering procedure.

EDF is also involved in another important project in

Morocco

(Tetouan) to develop a 50 MW wind farm to

he commissioned in the early 1999 . There are other projects with EDF participation : 2.7 MW Dunkerque

wind plant which is in operation since December 96 and 7.5 MW project at Salsigue to he installed by the

middle of 1998.

0960-1 481/99/& -see front matter Q 199 8 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

PII: SO960-148 (98)00259-6


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A joint R &D programme has been launched at EDF R& D Division in order to provide the Company with all

the necessary up to date know how for managing and operating this programme. This includes a world wide

technical monitoring of wind energy, development of software to calculate the wind potential, studying grid

connection issues and wind energy production costs.

2 - OBJECTIVES

The French E OLE 200 5 programme for the next IO years is quite important (between 250 and 50 0 MW ).

The objectives of this programme are

:

.

.

to assess the cost-effectiveness and the competitiveness of the wind energy compa red to other energy

sources by 2005,

to create an initial market in France for wind power generation in order to help the groups,of companies

including French developers and manufacturers having their references in France for export projects. The

world market represents 130 0 MW per year now, increasing up to 200 0 MW per year in the beginning of

the next century, according to current estimates.

The challenge for wind energy is not finished yet. In many European countries wind power plants have been

installed for political reasons or for preparation for the future with incentives and grants. This policy has

permitted the development of a mature technology with kWh cost almost at break-even point for the best

sites. Further progress in the near future could only be imagined on an economical basis with or without very

moderate incentives, especially if some consumers accept to pay slightly more for the wind energy.

Therefore wind energy has to confirm its competitiveness with other energy sources in the near future. The

electricity cost for the most recent conventional power plants (Combined Cycles) is near 3 ECU cents ikWh

and will decrease with the steady improvement of technologies.

For under developed countries, where there is a real need for new capacity now , the kWh price is one of the

most important criteria for choosing a power plant. From 2005-2010 a lot of conventional power plants will

have to be replaced in European countries. At that time the competition will be very tough between different

energies.

So there is a real need to reduce wind energy production costs. The wind energy technology has to be

improved but it could be considered temporarily mature, allowing focus on cost reductions. Recent

development of the market could also help the manufacturers to reduce prices. Joint ventures between

different industries may also be necessary to achieve this objective. The potential French manufacturers are

trying also to adopt strategies including a close collaboration with the existing wind industry in Europe.

These collaborations will permit them also to take advantage of the present technological know how in

Europe.

3 - CALL FOR TEN DERS’ PROCEDURE

In the framework of the EOLE 2005 programme, Electricite de France, in collaboration with the French

Ministry of Industry, and ADEME has launched a first request for proposals in order to provide 50 MW of

wind power in France generated by installations owned by independent power producers.

The request for proposals contains two sections. The first, approximately 15 MW , was set aside for wind

power producers who had already measured the wind potential of their sites. The second part, 35 MW, was

open to applicants who equipped their sites with measuring systems by O ctober 3 1, 1’996.


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3.1- Preselection of the applicants

The companies or the group of companies wishing to propose a project in the framework of this call for

tenders had to apply for participation. EDF, the involved Ministries (Industry, Environment and Research)

and ADEME proceeded to a preselection on the bases of the documents provided by the applicants. A tender

pack was sent to each preselected applicant.

3.2 - Projects selection criteria

The projects selection criteria are as follows

:

Purchasing price of kWh requested by the applicant

Economic advantages of projects

Long term benefits of the chosen technical solutions

Technical and financial reliability

Respect for the environment

Opinion of local and regional authorities

Furthermore, a certain diversity, concerning regions of installation as well as types of wind turbines used, has

been taken into consideration in the selection procedure.

It is important to choose projects w hich are scattered in the whole co untry so far as possible, in order to

avoid the concentration of many wind farms in a limited area. The public acceptance is particularly improved

if we could maintain this position for the whole programme.

A large distribution of the projects is necessary, but not in areas where the wind resources are very limited.

One of the main objective of this program me is to show the cost effectiveness of wind en ergy, a nd the

projects in less windy areas could constitute a negative reference. In medium ranged wind resources,

subsidies from different authorities could help the projects to be selected but it is important, for the future of

this field, to choose the projects which could be viable economically.

The power of each wind farm will be situated between

1.5

MVA (0.5 MVA for small islands) and the French

legal upper limit of 8 MVA.

4 - RESULTS OF THE CALL FOR TENDER S

The selected projects are :

First seetlon_

:

Nil site MB

02

Widehem (Par-de-C&air)

4.5

SAEML Dunkerque Jeumo nt IndusfrielMicon

08

Lastours (Audc) 3.05

V.Tgl i

Nordex/LagerweylDewind Enercon

12

Dontire (D&me)

3 SpaeTrindel Bonus

16

Petit Canal (Guadcloupe)

2.4 SllF Vergnet

tioo - octe :

IA Partel ,Pas-deCala,r)

3

SAEML Dunkerque

Windmaster NL - Nor c

La Hague (Manche)

4.5 EOLE Technologie

Eole Zond (ENRON)


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04

05

10

II

06

09

07

14

13

15

19

IS

17

20

Plounrzel (Finistire)

Goulien (Finis&e)

Lc Mcrdelou (Aveyron)

Lod4voi.vLnruc (Hdrault)

Souleilla Trcilles (Aude)

Eotnks Conilhac (Auds)

S&an (Aude)

Lavntoggio (HteCorse)

Centuri (Htc Cone)

SOtts (Coned” Sud)

La Desirsde (Guadcloupe)

Morne Coartnat

Kapcsurre Mark Galante)

Petite Place

Gpesrsns Marie Gakuue)

Miquelon

(St P ~cne t Miquelon)

3

6

7.2

5.4

7.5

7.5

636

3

2.4

2-4

2x4

I.5

I.5

0.6

Paribas - Vestas -Cie. du Vent

CEGELEC

Foumie Grospaud . VALOREM

Paribas .

Vestas _ Cle. du Vent

EOLE Technologte

Jeumonl lndustne



Sqqme . Germa

Paribas - Vestas - Cie. du Vent

VERGNET

VERGNET

VERGNET

VERGNET

VESTAS

WEG - EED

NORDEX

VESTAS

Eole Zond ENRON)

MICON _ EED Sp ie Trindel

VESTAS

VESTAS

VESTAS

VESTAS

Leroy Somer BL Finance GEC Alsthom

Leroy Somcr BL Finance GEC Abrhom

Leroy Somer BL Finance GEC Alsthom

Leroy

Somer - BL Finance

Figures I and 2 show the location of the selected sites. The selected projects are located in good and medium

range wind resources.

Figure 1 Location ofthe selectedprojects on the continent


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5 - ANALYSE OF THE TENDERS

As could be seen from this figure these projects are well dispersed in the whole country. Th e technologies are

also quite different from one project to another. This is helpful for feedback experience that we have to

perform by the end of this programme. French industry is very active and collaborates with other European

manufacturers to take part in this prograrnme.

Figure 2 - Location of fhe proj ects in overseas departments

Environmental aspects are developed largely in the call for tenders’ specifications and we hope that the

selected projects could easily satisfy environmental requirements and obtain all the authorisations.

The average kW h prices for the selected projects on the continent is 5.2 ECU cents. This is slightly higher

than the one announced for NFF 04 programme in England and Wa les (4.9 ECU cents). This could be

explained by the fact that we are in starting phase and developers had a short time for preparing the

propositions for the first section.

14,M

/ 1 , / I

I

Figure

3 -

kwhpri ce as afincr ion of wind mean velociy


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Figure 3

represents the kWh prices proposed by the applicants compared to the analyses performed by EDF

in 1996

[

11. The w ind turbine m arket is changing rapidly an d the costs presented in the paper are based on

some average values of the prices, published in 19 94 and 95. The EDF estimations are obtained for some

average conditions and real projects could not of course follow the evaluations closely but the dispersion is

quite important specially for the first section. The operation and maintenance costs seems to be very often

overestimated as well as,some extra charges like impact studies, engineering, transport and sometimes grid

connection costs. Different financial arrangements were not very well used by the developers especially for

the first section. For the second section, the wind potential do not influence the kWh prices proposed by the

developers. This could partly be described by the fact that some of the projects in high windy areas have

some extra grid connection costs due to the distance and some of the projects in less windy areas have

obtained some local incentives. Higher installed capacity did not reduced the kWh price. The range of

variation of installed power (between 1.5 nd 7.8 MW) is not enough to modify significantly the kW h price.

6 - CONCLUSIONS

The French wind generation programme EOLE 2005 and the obtained results of the first call for tenders are

discussed. The ED F strategy on wind energy and the way we prepare for the future are also developed. The

programme will allow the cost effectiveness and the competitiveness of the wind energy to be thoroughly

assessed.

20 projects have been selected for the first call for tenders. These projects are well dispersed in the whole

country. The average kWh price of 5.2 ECU cents is obtained for the first section selected projects. This is

slightly higher than the one announced for the NFFG4 programme.

The wind turbines used are from different

technologies and gives enough m atter to study for the

future. The range of turbine rated power varies from 60 kW (tilt-down tower from Vergnet for

Guadelou pe) to 120 0 kW ( MW class from Nordex for South of France). The range of projects and turbines

will allow significant comparisons and assessment, with important feedback into following stages of the

wind energy programme in France.

REFERENCES

[I] A-R. LAALI, A. LOUC HE, J-L. MEY ER

Influence of wind fatm capacity, turbine size and wind speed on production cost

:

Analysis of the

actual market trend. 1 996 European U nion Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition Giiteborg Sweden

20-24 May 1996.

[2]

A-R. LAALI, M. BENARD

French Wind Power Generation Programme EOLE 2005.

Power-Gen’97,

Madrid l7-19 June 1 997.

french wind power generation programme eole 2005

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