CLS acquires Meteodyn and takes the lead as a key partner in the ecological transition of the energy sector
- October 20, 2021
- Category: News, Press Release
CLS, a subsidiary of CNES (French Space Agency) and CNP (an investment company), a provider of satellite solutions, has announced the acquisition of Meteodyn, a company specialized in wind engineering, meteorology and climatology, and in the development of software and services for renewable energy, urban planning and wind safety.
Thanks to this acquisition, CLS, whose activities support nearly 20% of the energy sector’s eco-responsible approaches, completes its maritime offer with Meteodyn’s expertise on the continent.
Meteodyn, which has 55 employees, drives a large part of its activities in Europe and Asia. Based in France, China and India, the company will now be able to rely on CLS’ international network (30 sites worldwide).
Together, CLS and Meteodyn will offer a unique and comprehensive range of wind/solar – onshore/offshore – climate/weather products, advice and services that is unique on the market.
CLS, of which 87% of its activities contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, is committed to a sustainable planet and, with this acquisition, is positioning itself as a key partner in the ecological transition of the energy sector.
Ecological transition
Today, 95% of renewable energy is produced on the continents. The ecological transition of the energy sector towards alternative sources is underway.
CLS & METEODYN: Complementarity between land and sea
CLS has been a partner to the energy sector for over 30 years, supporting major groups in their transition to offshore wind energy. Through solutions based on high-resolution satellite radar imagery, the company accurately estimates the future yield capacity of maritime territories, a key piece of information that helps in strategic decision-making for efficient and profitable installations.
Meteodyn, created in 2003 by its founder Didier Delaunay, has developed a unique expertise in wind characterization and forecasting for complex territories. Meteodyn’s strength: the deployment of this expertise in several forms, responding to different markets.
The sectors addressed are numerous: renewable energies, but also climatic comfort in urban areas or wind safety. As an example, the METEODYN UNIVERSE software suite, dedicated to wind energy, from design to operation of wind farms, is a reference on the market and is used by hundreds of passionate technical experts.
Didier Delaunay, President of Meteodyn:
« The whole Meteodyn team is very pleased with this integration, which will further strengthen our international presence. The complementary nature of our companies on land and in the ocean makes us a unique company with multiple synergies. The state of mind, the values and the desire to change the world that our teams share also guarantee future success and innovation.».
Christophe Vassal, President of CLS:
« At CLS, we measure the impact of global warming on our planet on a daily basis: sea level rising, loss of biodiversity, desertification, food insecurity. This awareness drives us to support this energy transition. We are proud to have found in Meteodyn, new partners to go further and provide our customers with ever more efficient and comprehensive renewable energy solutions».
About CLS
CLS is a global company and pioneer provider of monitoring and surveillance solutions for the Earth, created in 1986. We are subsidiary of the French Space Agency (CNES) and CNP, an investment firm. Our mission is to create innovative space-based solutions to understand and protect our planet and to manage its resources sustainably. CLS employs 900 people at our headquarters in Toulouse (France) and in 34 other sites around the world.
The company works in five strategic markets:
- sustainable fisheries management,
- environmental monitoring,
- maritime surveillance,
- fleet management,
- and energy & infrastructures.
CLS processes data from 100,000 beacons per month (such as drifting buoys, animal tags, VMS transponders, & LRIT tracking) and observes the oceans and inland waters (more than 20 instruments onboard satellites daily deliver information to CLS on the world’s seas and oceans). In addition, we monitor land and sea activities by satellite (nearly 10,000 radar images and several hundred drone flights are processed each year). The CLS Group had revenue of nearly 140 million Euros in 2020. Committed to a sustainable planet, the company works every day for the Earth, from Space.
Committed to a sustainable planet, the company daily works for the Earth, from Space.
1 CNES
CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales) is the government agency responsible for shaping and implementing French space policy in Europe. It designs and puts satellites into orbit and invents the space systems of tomorrow; it promotes the emergence of new services useful in everyday life. Founded in 1961, CNES has developed major space projects, launchers, and satellites and is the industry’s natural partner for promoting innovation. The agency has nearly 2,500 employees passionate about space and its infinite, innovative fields of application. They work in five areas: the Ariane project, science, observation, telecommunications, and defense. CNES is a major player in technological innovation, economic development, and France’s industrial policy. It also forges scientific partnerships and is involved in many international cooperative endeavors. France, represented by CNES, is the main contributor to the European Space Agency (ESA).
2 CNP
CNP is an investment firm founded by Mr. Albert Frère and exclusively managed by the Frère family. CNP invests its permanent capital for control or joint-control of European industry leaders and acts as an active partner to drive sustainable value creation alongside the founders, management and families it associates with. Together with GBL, CNP is one of the 2 pillars of Groupe Frère that manages net assets of approximately € 5.5Bn.
About Meteodyn
Meteodyn, an expert in wind engineering, meteorology and climatology, has been developing since 2003 services and software capable of analyzing, calculating and modelling meteorological and climatic data, wind flow and solar radiation on any type of project. Today, it is the world leader in CFD software for numerical wind simulation. Its goal: to help its customers build a sustainable, cleaner and safer world.
Recognized worldwide, its expertise is based on several cutting-edge technologies, including:
- CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), which allows for accurate wind simulations considering the effects of the local environment (mountains, forests, buildings, etc.) on any type of terrain and at any scale.
- Artificial intelligence, which improves in real time the wind and energy production forecasts used by more than 200 wind farms around the world.
- Meso-micro-scale coupling, achieved through statistical downscaling of meso-scale data to micro-scale (0.1 to 1km horizontal resolution), allowing for local consideration of large-scale thermal stability effects.
In addition to its business expertise and in-house technologies, Meteodyn develops software products with multiple applications:
- Renewable energies: Extract, analyze and complete wind data, estimate and optimize the energy production of wind and solar farms, analyze the performance of wind farms in operation.
- Urban planning: Model and optimize climatic comfort for pedestrians, natural ventilation and solar gain in buildings as well as photovoltaic and wind energy production in cities.
- Wind safety: Supervise the port wind on a local scale, in real or forecast time (RT Windmap, application awarded the “Digital Innovation” trophy by Port of the Future 2021).