Jan De Nul to install cables to connect future floating wind farms off France's Southern Brittany coast

French transmission system operator RTE is building an offshore power grid to connect future wind farms.

For two floating wind farms off the coast of Southern Brittany, with a total installed capacity of 750 MW, RTE has now awarded a framework agreement to Jan De Nul, in partnership with Hellenic Cables, to supply and install the export cables.

Each cable will have a length of about 50 kilometres to bring green energy to consumers onshore.

As part of its strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, France has set ambitious offshore wind power targets, aiming for up to 45 GW of installed capacity by 2050, including both fixed and floating offshore systems.

Jan De Nul will install the cables that transport the renewable energy of France’s first commercial-scale floating wind farms from the offshore substation to shore. Together with Hellenic Cables, Jan De Nul is responsible for the design, manufacturing, installation and protection of three high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) 225kV cable systems, which together span some 150 kilometres.

In addition to transport and installation, the marine contractor will embed the cables in the seabed.

Further to the submarine cables, Hellenic Cables will also supply 240 kilometres of onshore cables that will be manufactured in Hellenic Cable’s land cables facility in Thiva, Greece.

Jan De Nul and Hellenic Cables will execute these projects under an engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract with RTE to be finalised during the period 2025-2026.