GDF Suez spells out big ambitions for French tidal power  

Recharge News has a look at plans to expand tidal power in France - GDF Suez spells out big ambitions for French tidal power.

French utility GDF Suez has revealed details of plans for two large-scale tidal power developments on the west coast of the country by 2016.

The group has carried out studies of Raz Blanchard in Lower Normandy and the Passage du Fromveur off the Finistère coast in Brittany – between them estimated to represent 80% of France’s marine renewable energy potential.

At Raz Blanchard, where tidal speeds of more than six metres-per-second create a 4-6GW potential resource, GDF Suez aims to install a pilot plant of up to six of Voith Hydro’s HyTide turbines, creating a 3-12MW development – with long-term plans to deploy 100 machines.

The company also wants to develop a tidal plant at the Passage du Fromveur by 2016 in conjunction with Eole Generation, using technology-developer Sabella’s D10 prototype.

GDF Suez is already involved in marine renewables, including the MeyGen tidal farm project in Scotland’s Pentland Firth; the Electricité De Tahiti scheme in the French Polynesian archipelago of Tuamotu; Brazil’s Tractebel Energia project; and the Standpoint-Wavebob in Portugal.