PRESS RELEASE

1 September, 2011
EDF and OpenHydro Prepare to Install First Tidal Turbine in Brittany, France
French utility company EDF and tidal technology specialist OpenHydro have today announced that the project to deploy
the first of four 16m tidal turbines off the coast of Paimpol-Brhat is now in the final stages of preparation.
On August 31, 2011 the first turbine assembled at DCNS shipyard in Brest was towed from the harbour to commence a
series of commissioning tests at sea prior to installation.
This is the first stage of a project which in 2012 will create the worlds largest tidal array generating power onto the French
grid. The turbines are supplied by the Irish company OpenHydro and each has the capacity to generate over 2MW of
energy.
OpenHydro and its partner DCNS have now completed the assembly of the first turbine for the Paimpol-Brhat project.
The assembly combines the turbine and the subsea base which holds the turbine in position on the seabed. DCNS have
also supported the project by supplying components for the turbine and by providing the Brest facility as a base of
operations.
The installation is performed using the custom designed installation barge, the OpenHydro Triskell.The barge was
constructed in France by STX (Lorient) under supervision by DCNS.
Commenting on this latest development, James Ives, chief executive, OpenHydro, said: We are delighted to be working
with EDF on what is set to be the worlds first large-scale, grid-connected tidal energy farm and Frances first offshore tidal
installation. EDFs vision to develop this exciting project places France and EDF at the forefront of this new form of
renewable energy generation.
The turbine will now be towed to the deployment site off the island of Brhat, near Paimpol in Ctes-dArmor, where it will
be deployed on the seabed at a depth of 35 meters. For two months the turbine and subsea base, which have a combined
weight of 850 tonnes and a height of 22 metres, will be tested.
The objective of the test is to prepare for the implementation of the worlds largest tidal array which is scheduled for
installation in 2012. The electrical output of the completed tidal farm will power 4,000 homes.
The Paimpol-Brhat tidal farm project was initiated by EDF in 2004 and work began in 2008 with the support of local
stakeholders. The project is unique in the world and carries a budget in the order of 40 million. The project confirms the
pioneering role EDF is playing in the use of marine and renewable energy and the groups commitment to sustainable
development. Tidal power has the advantage of being invisible, with a low environmental impact and does not disturb
other marine activities.
The project has the support of the Brittany region, of the French State and Europe, for a better knowledge of the marine
environment and in respect of providing regional employment.

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Unclassified
OpenHydro Press Release

Company Number 392378 Registered Office South Dock House, Hanover Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland

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OpenHydro has received support from Irelands Ocean Energy Development Unit who have supported the turbine system
design.
-EndsAbout EDF
The EDF Group, one of the leaders in the European energy market, is an integrated energy company active in all areas of
the business generation, transmission, distribution, energy supply and trading. The Group is the leading electricity
producer in Europe. In France, it has mainly nuclear and hydraulic production facilities where 95% of the electricity output
is CO2-free.
EDFs transmission and distribution subsidiaries in France operate 1,285,000 km of ward medium voltage overhead and
underground electricity lines and around 100,000 km of high and very high voltage networks. The Group is involved in
supplying energy and services to approximately 28 million customers in France. The Group generated consolidated sales
of 65.2 billion in 2010, of which 44,5% was achieved outside of France. EDF is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange and is
member of the CAC 40.
About OpenHydro
OpenHydro is an Irish tidal energy technology company whose business is the design and manufacture of marine turbines
for generating renewable energy from tidal streams. The companys vision is to deploy arrays of tidal turbines under the
world'
s oceans, silently and invisibly generating electricity at no cost to the environment. OpenHydro has achieved a
number of industry firsts including being the first to deploy a tidal turbine at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC),
the first to connect to and generate electricity from tidal streams onto the UK National Grid and the first to successfully
demonstrate a method of safely and economically deploying and recovering turbines directly on the seabed. The
deployment and recovery method delivers a step change in the economics of tidal energy.
OpenHydro has a project portfolio spanning the USA, Canada, France, Scotland and the UKs Channel Islands with utility
partners including EDF, Nova Scotia Power and SSE Renewables. OpenHydro has won a number of awards for its
innovations in the field of renewable energy technology. For further information please visit www.openhydro.com.
About DCNS
DCNS is a world leader in naval defence and an innovative player in energy. The Groups success as an advanced
technology company with global reach is built on meeting customer needs by deploying exceptional know-how and unique
industrial resources. DCNS designs, builds and supports submarines and other naval defence vessels as well as
associated systems and infrastructure. The Group provides services for naval shipyards and bases. It also develops
solutions in civil nuclear engineering and marine renewable energy. Committed to sustainable development, DCNS was
one of the first defence contractors to achieve Group-wide certification to ISO 14001. The Group employs 12,000 people
and generates annual revenues of around 2.4 billion. www.dcnsgroup.com

Media Contact:
Frans van Cauwelaert, WHPR
Tel: +353 1 669 0030 or +353 87 947 6743
e-mail: frans.vancauwelaert@ogilvy.com

Information category:
Author / Owner:

Unclassified
OpenHydro Press Release

Company Number 392378 Registered Office South Dock House, Hanover Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland

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