Naval Energies sinks French ambitions in tidal turbines

Towards the end of the tidal stream in France? Naval Energies decided in any case to stop investing in the sector. The company explained that it had drawn the consequences of the lack of public support for these technologies whose cost was deemed too high, while local elected representatives saw a promising job sector even if it was very late in France. The company specializing in marine renewable energies, owned 60% by Naval Group and 34% by the public bank Bpifrance, said in a statement late Thursday that it had "decided at its extraordinary board of directors of 25 July to put an end to its investments in the field of tidal turbines ", citing a lack of prospects.

» READ ALSO – The oceans, this economic resource not exploited by France

Naval Energies, a subsidiary of the French shipbuilder Naval Group (former DCNS), had inaugurated in mid-June, in Cherbourg, the first French wind turbine manufacturing plant, while the French government was already hiding doubts about the future of technology. The construction of the plant, which represented an investment of 10 million euros, partly financed by local authorities, started in July 2017. With only two firm orders for tidal turbines (in Japan and Canada), the site of 5 500 m2 was idling with just a handful of employees. Naval Energies was hoping for bids from the state to increase production and run its production tool. They never arrived

Anger of the Elected

Naval Energies evokes a "gap between the technological offer and the market demand" and denounces "the system of subsidies that does not provide direct aid to manufacturers ", Not allowing the industry to" finance alone "the development of this sector. "The Agency for the Environment and Energy Management (ADEME) (…) has planned only 100 to 150 MW installed by 2028, 50 turbines of 2 MW in ten years", said the group

This announcement has aroused the anger of the elected Norman. Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot has killed a promising sector for marine renewable energies. It's still a shame for a minister who wants to be an ecologist, "accused Benoît Arrivé, mayor of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, in an interview to La Manche Libre denouncing" a financial choice and not industrial". Senator LR of the Channel, Philippe Bas, criticized "the repeated delays, for several years and despite our regular reminders, in the transition to the commercial phase of calls for projects, essential to strengthen the" business plan "of the plant and allow it to win the growing international markets. " He called the government "with the necessary start."

"The production costs of tidal turbines (…) appear very high, even in the long term and even compared to offshore wind."

The Minister Nicolas Hulot

Other manufacturers are present on this sector, including the British company Atlantis, world leader. "If the State does not launch in a short time of commercial tenders, the whole sector (French) will stop", had warned during the inauguration of the factory of Cherbourg , June 14, the president of Naval Energies, Laurent Schneider-Maunoury. "The production costs of tidal turbines (…) appear very high, even in the long term and even compared to offshore wind," said the previous day the Minister Nicolas Hulot, while requesting additional studies to ADEME

Tidal turbines, submarine turbines that transform marine currents into electricity, have for many years been the source of hope for a clean energy source, without the visual nuisance caused by wind turbines. France, half a day from Cherbourg, in the raz Blanchard, has the second most powerful marine current in the world off the Channel and many other "deposits" off its coasts.