CALGARY -- Enbridge Inc. (ENB.TO) says it will pay $282 million to participate in the development of three large-scale wind farms off the coast of France.

The Calgary-based company will acquire 50 per cent ownership of Eolien Maritime France SAS, which is building a total of 1,428 megawatts of generating capacity.

The other half of the wind farms will be owned by EDF Energies Nouvelles, a subsidiary of Paris-based Electricite de France SA.

Each of the three wind projects has been awarded a 20-year power purchase agreement with Electricite de France.

Enbridge added that it would potentially invest up to $4.5 billion in total for all three projects.

If the projects go ahead, construction would start from 2017 and continue through 2022, it added.

Enbridge is mostly known as a pipeline company but it's also co-owner of four operating onshore wind projects in North America in partnership with EDF Energies Nouvelles and has a minority stake in a 400 MW project off the coast of England.

EDF and Enbridge have been partners since 2012 in Canada.

The latest deal between Enbridge and EDF is expected to close on May 19.

Enbridge said it had interests in renewable energy facilities with net capacity of nearly 2 GW. The pipeline company says its investment in renewables will help stabilize its environmental footprint at January 2009 levels.

--With files from Reuters