Offshore wind: from Pau to New York

TotalEnergies has an aim of producing over 100 GW in renewables by 2030. In the offshore wind sector, the Company has a real asset - the longstanding expertise of its teams on complex offshore projects. In Pau, from R&D to geophysics and geotechnics, through sustainable development (protecting biodiversity), we share major competencies initially related to the Company’s exploration and production (gas and hydrocarbons) activities. Today, TotalEnergies is developing offshore wind projects with a total capacity of more than 11 GW, of which over 2 GW are floating offshore projects in France, the United Kingdom and South Korea.

In 2029, the Attentive Energy One project, selected during the New York State 2023 call for tenders, will come online. The teams are already at work to develop 1.4 GW of renewable power, produced using offshore wind turbines. This major offshore wind project will help New York achieve its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target. 
 
"Decarbonizing electricity is one of the main levers of the energy transition. Projects like the one for New York are further proof of the Company’s commitment to developing its multi-energies business model." states Vincent Latron, Survey Manager, on assignment at Attentive Energy by TotalEnergies, located at the CSTJF in Pau. Oceans offer huge open spaces where we can install much higher and more powerful wind turbines than those onshore. There are however, a number of difficulties specific to the marine environment that need to be addressed, for example the complex nature of operations to install equipment on the seabed.

A multi-disciplinary team of project experts

"I’m assigned to the project full time, and I am in charge of coordinating the acquisition of geophysical, geotechnical and metocean data that will be used to characterize the site from as regards the soil and marine environment. Geophysics and geotechnics provide crucial knowledge of the subsurface, essential to anchoring the wind turbines, fixing the pile foundations and installing the cables that connect the turbines to one another, etc. Prior to the design and engineering phases, these are vital data required to gain a global understanding of the site." explains the geophysicist.

Vessel reconnaissance surveys began in fall 2022 and are due to end in 2025 to gather as much of these data as possible (acoustic waves, core samples, etc.). Their interpretation will then be used to define a ground model and identify the most suitable technology for designing the foundations. "There are no platforms in this project. The foundation is a pile measuring over 80 meters high and 12 m in diameter, driven more than 40 m into the ground before the wind turbine is installed on it!  So it goes without saying that costs and safety are both major challenges. We have this type of technical know-how in Pau, and the tools to go with it, for example geophysicists who will interpret and incorporate the data in SISMAGE. But we also have high added value as regards the management of large-scale projects."

New York has set itself the aim of installing 9 GW of offshore wind by 2035. The State also aims to produce 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and achieve net zero in 2040. TotalEnergies has joined forces with Rise, a New-York based electricity producer with a 35% interest, and Corio, an offshore wind developer for the development of the Attentive Energy project. The French Company provides its know-how in the management of major industrial projects, including risk assessments, budget management, scheduling, supply, design, and so on. Vincent explains: "These are competencies inherent to TotalEnergies' teams. What I like best is the operational aspect and the opportunity to develop within a project team. There are many, strong interactions with the different entities involved. With personnel from Pau, Paris and the U.S. it’s a project that thrives 24/7. One of them will focus on installing the foundations, another on the electricity supply through a cable that will have to be connected right in the middle of Manhattan, avoiding maritime traffic and underwater obstacles such as shipwrecks. I’m also constantly in contact with the societal and environmental team who are my liaison with the local fishermen. Each person is working to ensure that, from this site, off the coast of a supercity like New York, with dense maritime traffic, we can generate as much green electricity as possible in the space we have. We all truly feel that we are actively contributing to the energy transition,  and it’s a wonderful feeling," he concludes. 

 
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TotalEnergies in the U.S.
Operating in the United States since 1957, TotalEnergies is focused on identifying opportunities to meet growing energy needs while reducing carbon emissions.  With a presence in more than 30 U.S. states, the Company is developing an integrated portfolio combining 25 GW of operated and non-operated solar and wind projects, storage, and trading.  It is also the number one U.S. exporter of LNG, a critical partner for intermittent renewable energies.
 
TotalEnergies and electricity
As part of its ambition to get to net zero by 2050, TotalEnergies is building a portfolio combining renewables (solar, onshore and offshore wind) and flexible assets (CCGT, storage) to deliver low-carbon power to its customers, 24/7.  In 2022, TotalEnergies generated more than 33 TWh of electricity, and had a gross renewable electricity generation installed capacity of 17 GW.  TotalEnergies will continue to expand this business to grow its power generation to more than 100 TWh by 2030, with the objective of being among the world's top 5 producers of electricity from wind and solar energy.
 
About TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity.  Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible.  Active in nearly 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.