Un consortium européen Avec le soutien de

G R A N D I N A U G U R A T I O NO F F R A N C E ’ S F I R S T O F F S H O R E W I N D T U R B I N E

Press contact for october 13, 2017

Camille Lancesseur

camille.lancesseur@sanmedia.fr - 06 58 91 46 97

L A Y I N G T H E F O U N D A T I O N F O RA N E W I N D U S T R I A L S E C T O R

P R E S S R E L E A S E

1 3 R D O C T . 2 0 1 7 S A I N T - N A Z A I R E

Ecole Centrale de NantesValérie Chilard,Head of communicationvalerie.chilard@ec-nantes.fr+33 (0) 630 817 069

Bouygues ConstructionJessica Swiderski,Press relations managerj.swiderski@bouygues-construction.com+33 (0) 1 30 60 28 05

IdeolMarie Bayard-Lenoir,Communication managermarie.bayard@ideol-o�shore.com+33 (0) 609 778 115

2

Bruno Retailleau,

President of the Pays de la

Loire Regional Ministry

“Floatgen is a landmark event for our school.

The offshore SEM-REV trial site, which was truly visionary in 2007,

has become a research tool with global reach and is now absolutely crucial to

the development of this

new industrial sector in France.”

“Our investment in the Floatgen project demonstrates Bouygues Travaux Publics’ desire to highlight, within the sector of Renewable Marine Energies, our vast experience in the realisation of port and marine infrastructures internationally and within France. Concrete floats, produced on an industrial scale, will offer a competitive solution for offshore wind power.”

“Floatgen marks a crucial stage in Ideol's history and confirms our

position as an international leader. But it is also an important moment

for this new, emerging sector which is currently entering the phase of

commercial deployment.”

Armel de la Bourdonnaye,

Director of the École Centrale de

Nantes

Paul de la Guérivière,

Ideol executive officer

Benoît Lange, Bouygues

Travaux Publics commercial

director

“Floatgen is simply remarkable from a technological point of view and perfectly illustrates the Pays de la Loire region's ambitions within the maritime sector. The project, based within the Loire region and a world first, solidifies our position as the leading region for the new maritime economy and the first industrial hub for renewable marine energy in France.”

“The State brings its support to this particularly innovative floating wind turbine project, because it symbolizes the priority given to the deployment of marine renewable energies in order to reach targets

of energy transition, marine ambition and industrial and trade policy. This project will reinforce Pays de la Loire's strong

momentum around these objectives”

Nicole Klein, Regional Prefect

3

Summary

Floatingturbines:thefutureofoffshorewindpower p.4

Floatgen:alandmarkundertakingforoffshorewindturbines p.6

Keydatafortheproject p.7

Innovativeineveryway p.9

Floatgen:thefloatingwindturbinefirmlyanchoredinitsregionoforigin p.11

Timelineforthisextraordinaryproject p.13

ProjectPartners p.18

InstitutionalPartners p.22

4

Floating turbines: the future of offshore

windpowerOffshorewindpowerisadevelopingsectorwhichisbecomingincreasinglycompetitive.Intermsofsheerdevelopmentalcapacity,thenumberofprojectslaunchedbothinFranceandattheEuropeanlevelspeaksforitself.AccordingtoGilesDickson,chiefexecutiveforWindEurope,anoffshorewindturbinehasbeeninstalledapproximatelyeverydayinEuropeoverthepasttwoyears.IntotalEuropehasinstalledatleast1,558MW'sworthofenergygeneratedbyoffshorewindturbinesin2016alone,withacumulativecapacityof12,631MW.*Lookingtothefuture,around26.4GW'sworthofoffshorewind farms couldbebuilt during thenextdecadewithprojects containinga combinedgenerationcapacityof63.5GW(theequivalentofthewholeoftheenergygeneratedinFrancebynuclearplants)in the planning stages. Furthermore, cost reduction has occurred rapidly, far more than initiallyexpected,primarilyduetoincreasesintheunitsizesofwindturbines(currentlyaround8-9MWperwind turbine) and to the capacity per project (over 1 GW for certain recent projects). The latesttenderslaunchedinDenmark,theNetherlands,andtheUnitedKingdomhavebeenawardedatpriceswhichareclosetocurrentmarketprices.Itthereforeseemsthatoffshorewindpowerisasourceofenergythatperfectlyaddressescurrentenergyandclimatechallenges.

Floatingwindturbinesprovideanoceanofpossibilities.Windenergy,asthenamewouldimply,isproducedbytheforceofthewindblowingeitheroverland(land-basedwindenergy)oroverthesea(offshorewindenergy).

Offshorewindturbinescanbeinstalledintwodifferentways:eitherattachedtotheseafloor(bottom-fixed)orfloating,i.e.floatingonthesurfaceofthewaterwhilstbeingheldinplacebyananchoringsystem.

Floatingwindturbineshaveanumberofadvantages:unrestrictedbydepth,theycanbemorewidelydeployed,thereforehavinglessornovisual impactfromthecoast,andcanalsoendurestronger,more constant winds, thereby increasing their capacity forelectricity generation. Floating wind turbines are the future ofoffshorewindpower.

* WIND Energy report – 2016

Over 3,590wind turbineswereinstalled offshore around theworld at the end of 2016,resulting in nearly 12.6 GW ingeneration capacity. Theseturbines are all bottom-fixedwiththeexceptionofsixfloatingunitscurrentlyinoperation:oneinNorway,oneinPortugal,andfourinJapan.

Therearecurrentlynowindturbines – floating orbottom-fixed – deployed inFrance.

Bottom-fixedwindturbine Floatingwindturbine

5

Floatingwindturbines–anopportunityforFrancetobecomeaworldleader.Anumberofoffshorewindpowerprojectsarecurrentlyinvariousstagesofdevelopment:6commercialprojectsforbottom-fixedwindturbineswithagenerationcapacityof500MWeach(attheTréport,Fécamp,Courseulles-sur-Mer,Saint-Brieuc,Noirmoutier-en-l’Ile/Iled’YeuandSaint-Nazairesites)and4projectsforfloatingwindturbineswithagenerationcapacityof25MWeach(fortheGroix,Leucate,GruissanandFos-sur-Mersites)havebeengreenlitwithtendersinplacebytheFrenchgovernment,withdeploymentsetfor 2020 and 2021. The French government has also started consultations for the purposes ofpreparingatenderforcommercialfloatingwindfarms.France'spotentialinthisareaisakeyaspectasitisestimatedat6GW(theequivalentof3.6EPRnuclearpowerplants)by2030.

Amongthefloatingwindturbinetendersthathavealreadywon,theEOLMEDprojectisofparticularlynote, as thewinning consortium is ledbyQuadranEnergiesMarine (QuadranMarine Energy) andcombinesIdeol'sfloatingfoundationsystemwithBouyguesTravauxPublics'sconstructionexpertise.ThepurposeoftheprojectisthecreationofthefirstMediterraneanwindfarm,withfourunitstobedeployedoffthecoastofGruissan,oneofthelargestwinddepositsinEurope.

France benefits from the expertise of its companies, leading universities, research centres, andindustryplayerssuchasIdeol,theÉcoleCentraledeNantes,andBouyguesTravauxPublics,andaimstodevelopacompetitivenationalindustrialsectorcapableofexportingenergyandbecomingamarketleader.

Thepotentialforfloatingwindturbinesisvast–atthegloballevel.Floatingturbinesarebecomingincreasinglyattractivearoundtheworld,withprojectsboominginAsia,theUnitedStates,andEurope.

Anumberofcountriesareactiveonthismarket.Japanisinthelead,and is currently in the process of redefining its energy mix. TheJapanese Ministry of the Environment has forecast that by 2030between2.7 and5.6GWof its energywill be generatedby floatingwindturbines,andinthemid-2018,itwillinstallademonstrationunitdesignedbyIdeol.

Europe,theUS,andAsiamakeupthemostadvancedandpromisingmarketsforthissector.AsthePresidentoftheEuropeanWindEnergyAssociation,WindEurope,statedduringthelastFOWTconferenceonfloatingwindturbinesinMarseille,“FloatingwindturbineswillplayamajorroleinmeetingtherenewableenergyobjectivessetbyMemberStatesfor2030.”

*BytheCarbonTrust,ascitedbyWindEuropeinitsFloatingoffshorewindvisionstatement

BasedonareportcommissionedbytheScottishgovernment,floatingwindturbinesaccountfor80%of

windenergypotentialinEurope*

6

Floatgen: a landmark undertaking foroffshorewindturbines

A new generation is underway. The Floatgenprojectmarksanewfirstforoffshorewindpower:thefloatingwindturbine,capableofgenerating2MW of energy and currently being prepared fordeployment off the coast of Croisic at the ÉcoleCentraledeNantesSEM-REVtrialsite.Thisturbinewillbedeployedforaninitialperiodoftwoyears,and the electricity produced sent directly to theelectricalgridforthisentireduration.Theturbinewill produce the equivalent of the annualconsumptionof5,000inhabitants.

An opportunity to confirm the performance offloatingwind turbines. The Floatgen project wasdesignedasastartingpointforthedevelopmentofcommercial floating wind farms.Its objectives: to confirm the technical feasibilityandtheeconomicviabilityoffloatingwindturbines,and toprove that Ideol's technological solution isthe most competitive on the market.As the firstdemonstrationunit for Ideol's floatingbasetechnology,ithasprovided,andwillcontinueto provide, the consortium partners with anunparalleled experience, particularly in terms ofconstructionmethods,deployment,andoperation,inadditiontoitsvalueasashowcasemodelforfutureexport.

7

Keydatafortheproject

Ideol'ssingular,patentedfloattechnologyFittedwithaDampingPool®systemandbuiltusingreinforcedandprestressedconcretebyBouyguesTP,theFloatgenwindturbinefloatmeasures36metrespersideand9.5metresinheight(witha7.5metredraught).Floatgenisthefirstdemonstrationunitofthisparticulartechnology.

A2MWwindturbine(VestasV80)witharotordiameterof80metres(bladeseachmeasuring40metres).Theturbinetowerisattachedtothefloatusinganadapterandmeasures60metresinheight,inclusiveoftheadapter.

AworldfirstinanchoringTheFloatgen’ssemi-slackanchoringsystem(tokeeptheturbineinthecorrectposition)isinnovativeinitsuseofsyntheticfibres(nylon)asopposedtochains.Aworldfirstforpermanentanchoringatthisscale(6anchoringlines).

Amulti-technologyoffshoretrialsiteThewindturbinewillbedeployedinSEM-REV,thefirsttrialsitesituatedoffthecoastofCroisic,andacutting-edgemulti-technologytestingsiteforrenewablemarineenergyconnectedtotheFrenchelectricalgrid(operatedbytheÉcoleCentraledeNantesandsupportedbytheCNRS).Thetrialsiteislocated12nauticalmiles(22km)offtheshorelineandhasadepthof33metres.

PuttingIdeol'sfloatingbasetothetestunderstrenuousoceanandclimateconditionsTheoceanandclimateconditionsattheSEM-REVsite,withtheirmaximumwaveheight(Hmax)of16metresandveryshallowdispersion,areparticularlytreacherous,therebyactingastheperfectprovinggroundforthedeploymentofthesystemunderthemostdemandingenvironmentalconditions.

8

Floatgenhasbroughttogetherthebiggestnamesinindustryandacademics.7partnersfromacrossEurope,including3Frenchcompanies(Ideol,BouyguesTravauxPublics,andtheÉcoleCentraledeNantes),havejoinedforcestoprovidetheirrespectiveareasofexpertise.Thefloatingbasetechnology(alsoknownbyitspatentednameDampingPool®–seetheattacheddatasheet)developedbyIdeol,leadpartnerintheconsortium,hasbeenatthecoreoftheprojectsince2013.

IDEOL(Coordinator–France)Responsibleforengineeringtheoverallfloatingsystem(anchoring,float,exportcable),providingthewindturbineandoffshoredeployment

ÉCOLECENTRALEDENANTES(France)ContributeditsoceanographicexpertiseanduseoftheSEM-REVtrialsiteoff the coast of Croisic, in addition to providing and implementing theanchoringsystem

BOUYGUESTRAVAUXPUBLICS(France)Responsibleforthemanufacturingengineering,construction,andfloatingofthebasefromtheSaint-Nazaireport

RSKGROUP(UnitedKingdom)Contributedtheenvironmentalimpactanalysisforthefloatsystem

ZABALA(Spain)Responsible for managing the consortium as well as ensuring internalcommunicationfortheproject

STUTTGARTUNIVERSITY(Germany)Contributedinterlinkeddigitalsimulationsandassessedthemeasurementcampaign

FRAUNHOFER-IWES(Germany)ProvidedthebenchmarkbetweentheFloatgenfloatingsystemandothercomparablefloatingsolutions

FrenchgovernmentfundstheFloatgenprojectat9.1M€throughtowmechanisms:«Programmed’Investissement d’Avenir » (PIA) and PIA-SEMREV for the anchoring system (supported by EcoleCentraledeNantes),foranamountrespectivelyof5.7M€and3.4M€.

9

InnovativeineverywayCompact and competitive, Ideol's floatingbaseisattheheartoftheinnovationinvolvedin the Floatgen project. Designed aroundIdeol's patented Damping Pool® technology,the floating base system features a ring-shapedcentralopeningforoptimalstabilityata lower cost owing to its particularhydrodynamicproperties.

The Ideol solution used is founded in itsproven expertise in both the offshore oilsector (meeting offshore standards andregulations) aswell as offshorewind energy(the use of standard wind turbines with nomajormodificationsrequired).

Thismeansthatthefloatingwindturbinecanbedeployedfromadepthof30metres,andthankstoitscompactness, iscompletelyalignedwiththenewgenerationof large-scaleturbines(12-15MW)availableonthemarket,

The whole of the design used has been assessed and certified by an independent third-partyclassificationsociety.

TheIdeolsolutionisthemostsimple,themostcompact,andengineeredtobethemostcompetitiveonthemarket.

Floatgen will be the first offshore wind turbine deployed using Ideol technology, prior to thedeploymentofanadditionalunitinJapanduringthesummerof2018(formoreinformationseeIdeol'sdedicatedliteratureonthissubject).

Bouygues Travaux Publics has contributed to the project with its innovative use of lightweightconcreteandcompletelyoriginalconstructionmethods.Usingconcreteasthemainmaterialfortheconstructionof the Ideol floatingbase is a remarkable fact, andmakes it standout fromall otherfloatingsolutionsonthemarket,whichusesteel.BouyguesTravauxPublics(BouyguesPublicWorks),who were assigned the construction of the base, have developed a bespoke lightweight self-compactingconcreteformulaforthispurpose.

Theinnovativequalitiesarefeaturedintheconstructionmethodsofthedemonstrationunitdevelopedby Bouygues. To better adapt to existing port infrastructures, the solution selected consisted ofbuildingthefloatingbaseontopofthreereinforcedbargesmoorednexttothequay.ThebaseandbargeswerethentowedtotheJoubertlocklocatednexttotheentrancetotheportwherethebasewasfinallyfloated.

10

Semi-slacknyloncables,aworldfirstinpermanentanchorage.ExperiencegainedfromtheoffshoreindustryhashelpedtheÉcoleCentraledeNantesandIdeoldevelopthespecificfeaturesrequiredtocreatesuchaninnovativeanchoringsystem.Ratherthanusingthetraditionalchainstomanufacturetheanchoring lines, Ideol,as thedesignerof thesystem,and theÉcoleCentraledeNantes,as thesupplierofthesystemhaveoptedfornylon,asynthetic fibre,with itsexcellentresistance.LeBéonManufacturingwasselectedtoprovidethisinnovativesystemalongsidetwoindustrialpartnersfromtheoffshoresector:Bexco,aBelgiancompanyspecialising insynthetic fibresandDai-Han,aSouthKoreancompanyspecialisinginchains.

Asidefromitsinnovativequalities,theuseofnylonlineshasalsomeantthatthehighcostsnormallyassociatedwithanchoringsystemshavebeengreatlyreduced.

ThelocalSEM-REVtrialsiteisthefirstoffshoremulti-technologytestingsiteintheworldforrenewablemarineenergy.TheSEM-REVplatform,designedtobeaglobalstandard,isacooperativeresearchtoolcapableofdeploymentdemonstrationunits,pilotunits,andoffshoreenergyrecovery(windenergy,waveenergy)unitsata1:1scaleunderreal-lifeconditions.Researchersandindustrialmanufacturersthereforehavealloftheresourcesrequiredtotestprototypespriortotheirindustrialoperation.

TheSEM-REVincludesanonshorestation(researchstationandelectricalsubstation),anexportcable(20kV and 24 fibre optic), a 1 km² delineated offshore areawith all administrative authorisationsgranted, an underwater electrical connection station with three simultaneous connections, andmeteorological and oceanographic instrumentation (for reading wind, waves, currents, and localparameters).

The site is operatedby the École Centrale deNantes and theCNSR, and is fittedwith all relevantequipmentinorderthatrenewablemarineenergyproductionsystems(floatingwindturbines,waveenergy)canbeimplementedoffshoreunderactualconditions.TheSEM-REVwasofficiallylaunchedon25August2015inCroisic(Loire-Atlantique).Originallylaunchedin2007underthe2007-2013State-Region project contract, this visionary project has an overall budget of around EUR 20million. AnumberofleadingpartnerssuchasthePaysdelaLoireRegionalGovernment(EUR9.9million),theFrenchGovernment,andtheLoire-AtlantiqueDepartmentGovernmenthavecontributedtodateatotalofEUR17milliontotheproject.TheprojectisakeyelementinthePaysdelaLoire'srenewablemarineenergystrategyandadecisiveassetinthedevelopmentofthisnewnationalindustry.SEM-REVwillalsoprovideinitialandon-goingtraininginthesectorofrenewablemarineenergy,particularlyintheoperationsofdeployment,maintenance,anddismantling.

11

Floatgen:thefloatingwindturbinefirmlyanchoredinitsregionoforigin

70jobsinSaint-Nazaireweredirectlysecuredbytheconstructionofthefloatingbase.Incomparisontoothersteelfloatingbases,whichareimportedfromabroad,theconcretebaseselectedbyIdeolhasmeantconstructionhasstayedascloseaspossible to thedeploymentsite.TheconstructiontechniquesdevelopedandimplementedbyBouyguesTravauxPublicswerefirmlyentrenchedinthelocaleconomy,withadaptation to thehostportmadeeasier.

Construction at the Saint-Nazaire port,which is located several dozen kilometresfrom the deployment site, was therefore anatural and optimal solution from aninfrastructureandlogisticsstandpoint.Saint-Nazaire is particularly renowned for itsdynamic industry experience and, from asocio-economicstandpoint,constructingtheprojectinthislocationwouldbringanumberofbenefitstothecommunity.

The anchoring system wasmanufactured by LeBéonManufacturinginMorbihan.Withinatendering framework, the ÉcoleCentrale de Nantes alongside Ideol,designer of the anchoring system,awarded the contract for themanufacture of system elements toLeBéonManufacturing (a consortiuminvolving Bexco as supplier of thenylonanchoringlines).Themajorityofforged workpieces are manufacturedintheirPlouayplantinMorbihan.

12

Usinglocalsuppliersforallothercomponents.Forthemajorityofallothercomponentsorlogisticalactivities, the Floatgen Partners have opted for suppliers within the Saint-Nazaire region, such asArtelia (project management), Ceteal (technical studies), Point P - Trouillard (concrete), Shipelec(electrical works), Tissot (logistics), TGO (logistics and storage),Mécasoud (anchorage base), SNEF(electricalworks),andOctra(rentalofconstructionbarges).Thislocalfocushasbeenappliedtoalltheproject’spurchases,fromcommunications(thecommunicationsagency isbasedinNantes,with itseventsagencylocatedinSaint-Nazaire)toinsurance(BesséinNantes).

80%ofleadingsuppliersareFrench

OverEUR20millioninorders

havebeenplacedwithFrenchsuppliers

LaurentVatey,accountmanagerforBessé(Floatgeninsurer)

“Insuringinnovativeprojectsisalwaysachallengefromourside,intermsofadvisingcustomersinregardstowhichpoliciestheyshouldtakeout,aswellasonthemarketside.Floatgenisthereforeacrucialelementfordrivingtheimplementationandcontinuityofanewbranchofinsurance,particularlyatthenationallevel,whichisdedicatedtorenewablemarinetechnologymoregenerallyandfloatingwindturbinesspecifically.”

RichardLalaite,headofSNEF(responsibleforelectricalworksandinstallationsforFloatgen)

“ThisprojecthashelpedusexpandtheskillsofourteamswithintherenewablemarineenergysectorowingtothecollaborativeeffortinvolvedbetweenourselvesandIdeol'steams.Itisatestamenttoourambitiontodevelopourcapacityforrenewablemarineenergyinourregionanddemonstratesourcompany’sfocusonthefuture.”

13

Timelineforthisextraordinaryproject

January2013 Projectlaunched

2013–2015 Design and engineering phase for the float system (the float itself,anchoringsystem,exportcable),developmentphaseforthetrialsite

2015 Partial certification of the design used for the floating base by Lloyds'Register

Summer2015 ElectricityexportcableinstalledintheÉcoleCentraledeNantes'sSEM-REVtrialsite

1June2016 Officialconstructionlaunch

Summer2017 Constructiononthefloatends–launchofthefloat

Mountingoftheadapterandwindturbine(performedquayside)

Autumn2017 Turbine is towed and deployed on site followed by connection to theelectricalgrid

2018–2019 Offshoreoperationofthewindturbine(demonstrationperiodtakesplaceoveraminimumperiodoftwoyears)

14

The floating basewas built across three construction barges joined together andmoored at theCharbonniersquayinSaint-Nazaire.

August2017:floatcompleted,readyforlaunch.

September2016:constructionbargesmoored.

March2017:60%ofthefloatcompleted

15

Platformsuccessfullyfloated

August2017:adapterinstalledalongwithonesectionofthetower.

Asectionofthetower.

TheVestasV802MWturbineusedbyFloatgenwasdeliveredtoSaint-NazaireportinJune2016,withsomeminormodificationsmadepriortoinstallation.

Oneofthethree40m-longbladesfortherotor.

16

Installationsofthewindturbineatquayside

The above timeline demonstrates the coreadvantagesof the technologydeveloped:alloftheconstructionactivitieswerecarriedoutonasheltered port (not offshore) thereby reducingtheassociatedrisksandcosts.

17

Theanchoringsystem,whichismadeupofchains,nylonanchoringlines,buoys,andanchors,waspre-installedoffshoreattheSEM-REVsiteinJuly2017.

Thebaseandwindturbinewillbetowedtotheinstallationsite,weatherpermitting,forconnectiontotheelectricalgrid(viatheexportcablewhichhasalreadybeeninstalledonsite).

Thisspecialistship,ascharteredbyBourbon,ledoffshoreanchoringsysteminstallationactivities.©ÉcoleCentraledeNantes

Nylonanchoringlinewheels

18

Projectpartners

19

TheFrenchfloatingsolutionsleaderattheforefrontoftheglobaloffshorefloatingwindturbinemarket

IdeoliscreatedinJune2010.Untilthispointthemarketforoffshorewindpowerhasbeenbasedaroundfixedoffshorewindpowerwithtechnologythatcanonlyfunctionatrelativelylowdepths.Drivenbytheconvictionthatthismarketwillrapidlyturntofloatingfoundations,whicharemuchmoresuitedtothemarineenvironment,Ideol’sobjectiveistodevelopfloatingfoundationsforthismarketthatensuresbothtechnicalreliabilityANDeconomicsustainability.Usingthisambitionasablueprint,Ideol'sexperiencedmulti-disciplinaryteamscomeupwithatechnicalsolutionbasedonitspatentedDampingPool®concept.Withitsextraordinaryhydrodynamicproperties,thissystemensuresIdeol'sfloatingbasesarecompatiblewithallwindturbinescurrentlyavailableonthemarketwhileremainingcompact–evenforthemostpowerfulwindturbines–andtechnicallyreliableatanoptimisedcost.

These various features have translated into a period of sustained growth for the La Ciotat-basedcompany(withaworkforceof65locatedattheheadofficeaswellasrepresentativesinGermanyforNorthernEuropeand in JapanforAsia),withworkundertakenfordemonstration,pre-commercial,andcommercialprojectsaroundtheworld.AspartofitspartnershipwithJapan'sHitachiZosengroupandbecausetheJapanesegovernment,forwhomfloatingwindturbinesisastrategicissue,deemedthat the solution offered by Ideolwas the only one capable of reducing the cost of floatingwindturbines,theconstructionofademonstrationmodelfittedwithIdeol'ssolutionhasbeenorderedfortheJapanesemarketwithinstallationduein2018.Ideol'sfloatingbasesolutionhasalsobeenselectedforthefirstMediterraneanwindfarm(EOLMED,consistingoffourunits),withpartnershipsestablishedwithotherdevelopers(suchasAtlantisandGaelectric)fortheprovisionofapipelineforcommercialprojects. These various projects have positioned Ideol as French ambassador for floating windturbinesat the international level, inadditionto itspositionasmarket leader forasector in fullbloom.

20

TheunrivalledexpertiseofferedbytheÉcoleCentraledeNantes(NantesCentralSchoolofEngineering)

Withover30yearsofresearchinthisfieldinpartnershipwiththeCNRS,aswellasleadingEuropeanplatformsinoceanengineering,andseveralincubatedstartupsgrowingatanexceptionalrate,CentraleNantesisnowrecognisedasoneofEurope'sleadersforresearchandinnovationinthefieldofrenewablemarineenergies.

Trainingtakesintoaccounteconomicfactors,whichoftenlieattheheartofinnovation.

TheÉcoleCentraledeNantesisamajorschoolofengineeringinFrance,offeringacademicpathwaysbased on cutting-edge scientific and technological developments as well as best managementpractices. In addition to its recognised excellence in education, the École Centrale deNantes alsoenjoyscloseconnectionswiththeeconomicsector,owingtovariousresearchand industrialsectorexchanges. Large groups have benefited from the unique trial sites of the school's researchlaboratorieswhenassessingworkpertainingtocurrentandfuturetechnologies.

WithoverEUR15millioninannualresearchcontractsandadozenindustrialchairsforresearchandteaching, the École Centrale de Nantes provides top-level academic and applied research on aninternationallevelandwithinEurope.Theschoolbenefitsfromitsdynamicsurroundinggeography,andisambitiousinitsdesiretobecomealeaderinfutureeconomicsectorssuchasrenewablemarineenergies.

TheÉcoleCentraledeNantesisresolutelyfocusedonareassuchasoceanography,navelarchitectureand construction, the exploitation of clean ocean energy (wind, waves, currents), structuralcalculations, geotechnology, composite materials, robotics, control/command systems, digitalsimulations,andintensivecalculations.

Researchplatforms:naturallearningenvironmentstoimplementnewcareersinrenewablemarineenergiesOcean basins,which allowmodel structures to be tested under real-life conditions, are unique inEuropewithinauniversitysetting.Thewavebasin isthemostcovetedresearch installationfortherenewablemarineenergysectorinEurope,capableofreproducingalltheunderseaconditionsofthevariousoceansaroundtheworld.Fittedwithitsownwindtunnel,itiscapableofsimulatingstormandwindconditionsthatseastructureswouldexperience.

SEM-REVisoneoftheÉcoleCentraledeNantesgreatesttestfacilitiesandhasbeenfinancedunderthe 2007-2013 CEPR alongside an important contribution from the Pays de la Loire RegionalGovernment.SEM-REVistheonlyoffshoretestingsiteinEuropefullyauthorisedtotestprototypesaswell as the only testing site which connects to a national grid, meaning energy generated bydemonstrationunitswillbeusedtobenefiteveryFrenchhousehold.

-Schoolfoundedin1919-2,150students-550teaching-researchpersonnelandfull-timeresearchers-60doctoratethesesproducedeachyear-Over100researchcontractsconcludedeachyear-11majorresearchplatforms

21

Oneofthebenchmarkplayersininnovativemaritimeinfrastructureconstruction

AsubsidyofBouyguesConstruction,BouyguesTravauxPublics(BouyguesPublicWorks)isarecognisedexpertintheimplementationoflarge-scaleinfrastructureprojects,includingriverandmaritimework,lineardevelopments(railways,motorways,androads),industrialcivilengineeringprojects(includingnuclearandenergy-andenvironment-relatedprojects)aswellasearthworkandsurfaceminingworks.BothinFranceandabroad,thecompanyhasrecognisedexpertisewithintheareasofdesigningandimplementingcomplexoperations,takinginlarge-scalefinancialandmanagementimplicationsaswellas the effective use of cutting-edge technology. Particularly active within the area of maritimeinfrastructures,BouyguesTravauxPublicsiscurrentlyworkingonportextensionprojects(Calais2015),maritime landuse projects (Portier Cove inMonaco), quays (Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port), and evenoffshorestructuralworkwiththeNewShorelineRouteinRéunionorthelongestsea-crossingbridgeintheworldspanningHongKong,ZhuhaiandMacao.Thecompanyhasalonghistoryofinnovation,highlightsincludetheconstructionofaconcretebargein1995fortheTotalGroup,whichin2017isstillinuseoffthecoastoftheCongointheN'Kossaoilfield.Thecompanyhasactivelybeeninvolvedforseveralyears inthedevelopmentofrenewablemarineenergyinFrance,byfocusingontheideathatcivilengineeringtechnologycancontributepositivelytothedevelopmentofthissector,firstlybyloweringcosts(concreteisaninexpensiveresourcefortheconstructionoflong-lastingstructuresandisresistanttomarineenvironments)aswellasbycreatingatrulylocalconstructionsectorwhichcannotbeoutsourced,meaningthatprojectswillbemorelikelytobeaccepted.In2013,BouyguesTravauxPublicsandIdeolconciliatedtocombinetheirvariousareasofexpertise.Thepartnership for the constructionof the Floatgenprojectwas then concluded, and theEolMedfloatingwindfarmbecamethefirstcommercialappointmentforthegroup.Thisfirststagehasseenworkcommenceondevelopingindustrialproductionsolutionsforfloatingbases,buildingonexpertisegleanedfromserialcontainerconstructionprojectsforports(belowisapictureoftheTangerMedIIPortseawallinMorocco).

TangerMedIIPort:serialpremanufacturingof105containersweighing5,000T

BouyguesTravauxPublics:〉 Salesrevenuefor2015:EUR2

billion〉 Numberofemployees:2,777

22

Institutionalpartners

L’Agencerégionale–PaysdelaLoireTerritoiresd’Innovation

LucilleGRANSARD–l.gransard@agence-paysdelaloire.fr–0240483202–0607795017

ThankstoFloatgen,France’sPaysdelaLoireregioniswellonitswaytobecomingaleadinghubformarinerenewablesThePaysde la Loire region ranks first for thenumberof jobs in themarine renewables sector. It is aregion fully committed to the new maritime economy as illustrated by the successful Floating WindPowerForumheldon2and3OctoberinSaintNazaireandattendedbyover350internationaldelegates.To support the manufacture of the Floatgen prototype and the test phase at the SEM-REV site, theRegionalCouncilhasrecentlydecidedtoadvance€200,000interestfreetoIdéol.

Avirtuousecosystemnowinplace

A regional assembly on the maritime economy has been set up, co-chaired by central and regionalgovernment.Itsaimistoconsolidateexistinginitiativesandtodefineanoverallandcoherentstrategyforthe sector. In this respect, the Regional Council is working towards new blue growth and developingvibrantindustries.

The Neopolia business cluster is a specialised network of over 100 regional businesses that offers acombined skill-set to deliver six integrated solutions for the marine renewables industry: projectdevelopment, EPCI fixed and floating foundations, offshore installation support, operation andmaintenance,systemhealthmonitoringandmonitoringofoffshoreconcretestructures.

3regionalinnovationclusters(pôlesdecompétitivité)focusedonmarinerenewables- EMC2isaleadinginnovationclusterforadvancedmanufacturingtechnologies- PôleMerBretagneAtlantiquespecialisesinmaritimeinnovation- S2E2isasmartelectricityclusterinnovatinginpowergenerationandtransmissionFirst-classportfacilitiesformarinerenewabledevelopmentsatSaint-NazaireNantes-Saint Nazaire is the largest port on France’s Atlantic coast (4th nationally) with over 25milliontonnesinporttrafficeveryyear.Itplanstobecomeabenchmarkportforenergytransitionandecologywithamarinerenewableshub(comprisinga12halogisticshubatSaint-Nazaireandanareaof30haatMontoir-de-Bretagne)alongwithaneco-industrialparkof110haatLeCarnet.

Anidealenvironmentforresearch,innovationandexperimentation,organisedinto3strands:- Academic: with Centrale Nantes engineering school, Université de Nantes, and the WEAMEC

network.- Advancedtechnology:withIRTJulesVerneindustrialresearchinstitute,thetechnocampusplatforms

-OCEAN,CompositesandSmartFactory–whereacademicandindustrialresearchteamscancometogetheraroundnewcollaborativeR&Dprojectsandsharefacilities.

- AsetoftestfacilitiesuniqueinEuropeforsupportingthedevelopmentofMREtechnology:ThesiteatLeCarnetspecialising inmarineeco-technologies,andSEM-REV, theworld’sfirstoffshoremulti-technology test site for marine renewables, with a grid connection and all the prerequisiteadministrative authorisations. In addition to these pioneering sites, the region’s assets include theCentrale Nantes school’s hydrodynamics centre equippedwith awave basin and towing tank, theJulesVernewindtunnelattheCSTB(centreforbuildingscienceandtechniques)inNantes,andtheIFSTTAR’s (institute of science and technology for transport, development and networks)geotechnicalcentrifuge.

L’Agencerégionale–PaysdelaLoireTerritoiresd’Innovation

LucilleGRANSARD–l.gransard@agence-paysdelaloire.fr–0240483202–0607795017

Industrialfirmspermanentlyestablishedintheregionanddevelopingmarinerenewables- GERenewableEnergy,basedinSaint-Nazaire,hassetastrategicdirectionthatconfirmstheregion’s

appeal formarinerenewables including largewindpowerdevelopments.Theplant,based inSaint-Nazaire,willsupplybothdomesticandinternationalmarkets.

- EDF Energies Nouvelles, in Bouguenais, plans to set up a centre to oversee operation andmaintenanceofoffshorewindfarms.

- NavalEnergiesispositionedonthefloatingwindmarketandalsoworksontidalandoceanthermaltechnologies.

- STXFranceishelpingdriveenergytransitionandhasbeensuccessfulontheworldstageconstructingsubstations for the offshore wind industry. An example of the firm’s commitment is STX France’sAnemos plant, a purpose-built complex that produces substations and foundations for the MREindustry.Thiswasastrategic investment forSTXand itattractedsupport fromthePaysde laLoireRegionalCouncil.

- ROLLIX is the leader for blade and yaw bearings for wind turbines of all capacities in France andinternationally.ItisaforerunnerinFrance’swindindustry.

Inthemaking:2offshorewindfarmswithanoverallcapacityof1,000MW

Two wind farms are planned in the Pays de la Loire region. They will offer opportunities for localbusinesses in both the industrial and service sectors: construction work, installation, operation andmaintenance. Together the projects represent a third of France’s installed capacity generated byoffshorewind,inlinewiththecountry’sMREtargets.

Fastfacts:Saint-Nazairewindfarm–year2021 Fastfacts:TwoIslandswindfarm(LeparcdesdeuxIles)–year2021

• 80turbinesof6MWeach• Surfaceareaof78km²• 12kmfromshore• Totaloutput:480MW• 100newlocaljobs

Leading the project is Éolien Maritime France (aEuropean consortium made up of EDF ÉnergiesNouvelles,CanadianfirmEnbridgeandLorient-basedNass-Wind Offshore). The future farm will generateenough power to cover the needs of some 700,000people.The Haliade turbines of 6 MW supplied by GERenewableEnergywillbemanufacturedinpartattheSaint-Nazaireplant.www.parc-eolien-en-mer-de-saint-nazaire.fr

• 62turbinesof8MWeach• Surfaceareaof83km²• 12kmfromIled’Yeu,17kmfromNoirmoutier,

and20kmfrommainland• Totaloutput:496MW• 125newlocaljobs

This wind farm is being developed by the companyÉoliennesenMer Ilesd'YeuetdeNoirmoutier (withshareholders Engie (47%), EDP Renewables (43%)and Caisse des Dépôts (10 %)). Once completed, itshould generate an average of 1900 GWh per year,roughly the amount of electricity used by 790,000peopleeveryyear.The majority shareholder of the initial industrialpartner Adwen changed, which has resulted in theproject using Siemens devices produced in France,eachwithacapacityof8MWandaheightof196m.https://iles-yeu-noirmoutier.eoliennes-mer.fr/

Saint-Nazaire:awholeoceanofopportunities BoundedbytheAtlanticOceanontheonesideandtheRiverLoireontheother,Saint-Nazairehasgrownandthrivedonwater.Thispreciousandfragilenaturalecosystem,whichhasalwaysformedthebasisoftheestuary’seconomy,remainsitsgreatestassetintermsofbuildingthefuture. It is a platform for the “blue” economy, directed towards sustainable growth, andreconcilingeconomicdevelopmentwithrespectfortheenvironment.And "blue" growth certainly takes on its full meaning in Saint-Nazaire. Alongside thetraditionaleconomicbedrockofmarineandmaritimeactivities(navalconstruction,fishing,shellfishfarming,andsoon)theestuarydistinguishesitselfthroughtheadvancesithasmadein emerging sectors such as micro-algae and marine renewable energy, all the whilemaintainingits identityasacitywherepeoplecanlivewellandenjoythegoodlife. Inthisrespectitisgrowingmorepopularwitheachpassingyearasatouristdestination.Overthepastfewyearsthesechangeshaveacceleratedandlocalstakeholdershaverapidlyadaptedtothisnewreality.AsamajorinstrumentinthedevelopmentoftheSaint-Nazaireregion,themajorport,orGrandPortMaritime,islikewiseevolvingtosupportthestructuringofthemarinerenewableenergysector,mobilisingnewtechnologiesinitsbidtobecomeamoreeffectiveandattractive"SmartPort".Whiletheeconomymustreinventitself inordertorisetothechallengespresentedbythe21stcentury,Saint-Nazaireisataturningpointinitshistoryandhasanoceanofopportunitiesaheadofit

Marine renewable energy: a reality at the Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port

AspartofastrategicprojectadoptedinOctober2015,theNantesSaint-NazairePorthassetitselfthegoalofturningtheportintoabenchmarkoftheenergyandecologicaltransitionthatFranceisundergoing. To that effect, the port isworkingondeveloping the existing andemerging sectorsthatithadalreadyidentifiedin2009,andmorespecificallythemarinerenewableenergysector.

With its powerful network of industrial and scientific partners, the involvement of regionalauthorities and the active support of Government services, the Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port is fullyequipped to meet the needs of future wind farms off the Saint-Nazaire and Vendée shorelines,facilitate the development of futuremarine energy technologies and assist in the creationof newbusinesses,aswellasbolsterthelocalindustrialandlogisticsnetworkthatislikelytopositionitselfinthesector.

TheNantesSaint-NazairePorthasimplementedindustrial,logisticsandrealestatesolutionsthroughthecollaborationofotherportsites,inSaint-Nazaire,LeCarnetandMontoirdeBretagne.

Situatedovera30-hectarearea,the industrialandlogisticshubofMontoirdeBretagnehas,since2014, accommodated plants that manufacture nacelles and alternators for General Electric's(formerlyAlstom)offshorewindturbines.ThenearbyNantesSaint-NazairePortwillseetheadditionof350squaremetresofquayforitsgeneralcargoandcontainersterminalinNovember2017,withonepartofthisareabeingdedicatedtoXXLindustrialpackages,inparticularthoseownedbyGE.

TheNantesSaint-NazairePorthasworkedtoredefineitsindustrialandportarea,alongsideCARENE(Saint-NazaireAgglomerationCommunity),inordertoenhancingtheboominXXLandmarineenergyindustrialsectors.Anareaof12hectares,previouslyusedforsandmining,wastransformed intoalogisticshubin2015,whereallofthecomponentsusedforwindturbineswillbedeliveredto,storedand pre-assembled for use in future offshore Atlantic parks. Nearby, reinforcementworks to thePrised'EauquaybeganinJuneofthisyearinordertohandleincreasedtonnage,fromthecurrent4t/m2to15t/m2,withcompletionexpectedbytheendof2017.Itwillalsobeabletobeusedforthehandlingofparts,suchaselectricitysubstationsweighingseveralthousandtonnes.

The Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port also relies on its current infrastructures, such as the heavy liftterminal,ontheCharbonniersquay,wheretheFloatgenprototypefloatingwindturbinewasbuilt.Thequayisequippedwithacranethathas400-tonneliftingcapacity,whichisidealforhandlingXXLparts.At theentrance to the Saint-Nazairebasins, theLouis-Joubert lock caneasily accommodatejack-up rigs, self-elevating platforms used for installing turbines offshore, as well as for settingprototypesafloat.

AttheCarnetPort,onthesouthbank,theNantesSaint-NazairePortisworkingonthedevelopmentofaneco-technologicalparkdedicatedtorenewableenergies(110ha)aswellastherestorationofnaturalspaces(290ha).AuthorisedbyprefecturaldecreesinceJuly2017,thisfuturebusinessparkwillprovideextraspaceforSaint-NazaireandMontoirdeBretagne’sindustrialactivities.Theareaisthusbeingpreparedforthegradualemergenceofvariousothersectors(floatingorbottom-mountedwind turbines, hydropower turbines, biomarine sectors, and so on). SinceApril 2012, this site hashousedtheGeneralElectricHaliade150prototypeoffshorewindturbine.

AbouttheNantesSaint-NazairePort

A state public body, the Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port works alongside the area’s public and privatestakeholderstowardstheeconomicandenvironmentaldevelopmentoftheLoireestuary,whereitislocated.

TheNantesSaint-NazairePortisthethirdlargestindustrialandportcomplexinFranceandgeneratesalmost24,400jobs,accordingtoanInseestudypublishedinJune2015.

Asamultimodalandinternationallogisticsandindustrialplatformconnectedtothefivecontinents,thePortreceives,eachyear,approximately2,500portcalls,1,200freighttrainsand250riverbargeconvoys.