The innovative NH1 tidal energy project has been selected for the European Commission's "Innovation Fund," joining 84 other "Zero-Net" projects sharing €4.8 billion in financial support. This milestone further validates tidal energy as a mature, competitive technology for energy transition.
Set to be commissioned in late 2027 in the Alderney Race (Raz Blanchard), the NH1 pilot farm will feature four AR3000 turbines—each rated at 3MW, making them the most powerful tidal turbines in the world. The 12MW installation will generate 33.9 GWh of clean, sustainable, and 100% predictable electricity annually, enough to power 15,000 French homes.
Originally winning France's "Programme d'Investissements d'avenir" in 2015, the NH1 project has now secured all necessary approvals and serves as a catalyst for commercial deployment of tidal energy in France. The Alderney Race alone represents a potential 5 GW of tidal energy capacity.
The project will create approximately 400 direct and indirect jobs, with nearly 80% of the project's value entrusted to French companies. The turbines, developed by Proteus specifically for NH1, will be manufactured in France and assembled at Efinor workshops in Cherbourg, strengthening the local economy.
As the tidal energy sector develops in France, estimates suggest it could generate up to 6,000 jobs from the first gigawatt of installed capacity, while providing reliable, renewable electricity to the national grid.
Read:
https://normandiehydroliennes.fr/en/...novation-fund/