Evwind, Wind Energy

EDF Energies Nouvelles commissions its first 80MW wind farm in Canada

Continuing its expansion in the North American wind energy sector, EDF Energies Nouvelles announces the commissioning of its first wind power plant in Canada, the 80 MW Saint-Robert-Bellarmin facility in Quebec.

This achievement is the first of a seven-project programme totalising 1003.2 MW.

Located in Quebec province, in the southeastern Estrie region, the Saint-Robert-Bellarmin wind power plant comprises 40 wind turbines supplied by REpower, each with a unit capacity of 2 MW. The electricity generated will power the annual consumption equivalent of 18,000 homes and will be sold to Hydro Québec under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

This project is the first of seven projects awarded in 2008 to EDF Energies Nouvelles in Canada through Hydro Québec wind energy calls for tenders. The Company will develop and build under this programme, which runs until 2015, a total of 1,003.2 MW in the province. Two other wind projects, Massif du Sud (150 MW) and Lac Alfred (300 MW) are also under construction.

As part of an agreement between REpower and EDF Energies Nouvelles, the installed turbines include a significant amount of locally manufactured content. The towers, the blades and the converters were built in different regions of Quebec.

The Saint-Robert-Bellarmin project was developed and built by EDF EN Canada and will be operated and maintained by EDF Renewable Services, both local subsidiaries of EDF Energies Nouvelles.

“This achievement is the result of the exceptional development and construction efforts of our team in Quebec,” said Tristan Grimbert, President and Chief Executive Officer of EDF EN Canada. “Wind energy has a great development potential in Quebec and this first success illustrates the momentum of EDF Energies Nouvelles’ activities in Canada, a country where we have strong ambitions.”

Operating in Europe and North America, EDF Energies Nouvelles is a market leader in green electricity production, with a portfolio of 4,200 MW of gross installed capacity. With a development focused on wind and solar photovoltaic energy, the Company recently entered 3 new promising markets: Israel, Morocco and South Africa, and is expanding its business in offshore wind energy. The Company is also present in other segments of the renewable energy market: marine energy, biogas, biomass and small hydro as well as in distributed energies. EDF EN manages renewable energy projects’ development, financing, construction as well as operation and maintenance for its own accord and for third parties. EDF Energies Nouvelles is a subsidiary of the EDF Group and its renewable energy arm.