Japanese integrated industrial group Sumitomo Corporation has acquired a 29.5% equity stake in EMYN (Eoliennes en Mer Iles d’Yeu et de Noirmoutier) and EMDT (Éoliennes en Mer Dieppe et Le Tréport), the two project companies developing the Dieppe-Le Tréport and Yeu-Noirmoutier offshore wind projects. The French utility Engie remains the reference shareholder in both EMYN and EMDT with a 31% interest, while the remainder is held by the Portuguese company EDPR (29.5%), Sumitomo (29.5%) and La Banque des Territoires (part of Groupe Caisse des Dépôts, 10%). Engie and EDPR previously held 47% and 43% in the two projects, respectively, and sold 16% and 13.5%, respectively, to Sumitomo.
The two projects will have a capacity of 496 MW each and will both feature 62 Siemens-Gamesa turbines rated 8 MW each. Their development was authorized by the French government in November 2018. Slated to break ground in 2019, both offshore wind projects are scheduled for commissioning in 2021.
This is Sumitomo's first investment in the French offshore wind market but not in Europe: the group currently already has stakes in three offshore wind projects in Belgium (Northwind, Nobelwind and Northwester-2) and in two projects being finalized in United-Kingdom (Galloper and Race Bank).