“Without a suitable port, no flattering offshore wind power”: how Port-La-Nouvelle is transforming itself into an industrial leader

L'un des trois flotteurs en cours de construction, 45 m de chaque côté, sur lequel sera posé une des éoliennes du parc pilote. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

La région a anticipé cette révolution industrielle et adapte Port-La-Nouvelle pour en faire un acteur clé.

In Port-la-Nouvelle (Aude), behind a huge cargo ship, three huge floats can be seen, steel bases for the first floating wind turbines which will produce electricity in Occitanie in a little over a year.

Here, on the new 7-hectare heavy parcel quay, specially designed by the region, gigantism is the order of the day. Imagine: each square float manufactured by the EolMed consortium, carrying out one of the two pilot farm projects of three units off the coast of Gruissan-Port-la-Nouvelle, measures 45 m per side.

And, once completed in a few months, a good fifteen meters high. For a weight of approximately 4,000 tonnes each. When on the mast, then the turbine and finally the blades will be added on their base, the size will be around 200 m…

Moving towards carbon neutrality

What can we say about the first commercial park decided by the State and which will see the light of day in 2035: for more power, the floats of the machines will be more than 80 m on each side and s’ will fly 300 m at the tip of the blade. And if the planning desired by the State for these structures is confirmed, between 250 and 700 giants of the seas will have to be erected by 2050.

So, it is the entire ecosystem of this regional port which is being modified by the combined will of the State, the region but also local communities . To anticipate this unfolding industrial revolution and strive as best as possible towards carbon neutrality.

"Without a suitable port, no floating wind turbines at sea" summary of a formula Thomas Debize, offshore wind manager of SEMOP (single-operation mixed economy company), first of its kind for a port, with 49% management for the Region and 51% for the Belgian and Flemish consortium NOU-VELA.

"Wind turbines assembled in Port-la-Nouvelle and exported to the Mediterranean"

"The objective is to be able to assemble a float in the port, put it in the water and carry out the integration, that is to say putting the turbine on the float and bringing the whole thing to sea. The future scenario will therefore be wind turbines assembled in Port-la-Nouvelle and exported to Mediterranean".

To achieve this, the port was redeveloped to accommodate long ships. For example, the three floats of the second pilot farm project, that of EFGL (off the coast of Port-Barcarès), built in Paca, will arrive towed by boat to Port-la-Nouvelle.

"In Occitanie we have already been working on wind power and the development of this sector of the future for 8 years"< /em> recalls the president of the Region Carole Delga. The community put 230M&euro out of its own pocket; and 200M€ more for the current work at the port. A heavy unloading dock, 3 km of dike, land to assemble the machines: in the end, 40 hectares will be dedicated to this industrial revolution.