Two new tidal farm projects in France have been awarded $55 million in funding from the European Union’s Innovation Fund to add around 29 megawatts of sustainable power to the local grid.
The HydroQuest project will build a 17.5-megawatt tidal farm off the coast of Normandy, France, expected to power around 20,000 homes when it comes online in 2026.
The Normandie Hydroliennes project will install four 3-megawatt tidal turbines, the most powerful to date, expected to generate 33.9 gigawatt hours annually to power 15,000 homes by 2028.
The EU has signaled a focus on sustainable energy initiatives as part of its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050.
Tidal power is seen as an important renewable resource for France, complementing the intermittent nature of solar and wind power, as the tides are driven by predictable lunar forces.
The EU estimates there is 5 gigawatts of tidal energy potential off the coast of France, and 800-1,200 terawatt hours of global tidal energy potential to support decarbonization.
Tidal power production costs are expected to match floating offshore wind by 2030, and the turbines have minimal impact on marine ecosystems.
Source: TCD
