France’s First Offshore Wind Farm Fully Up and Running

November 23, 2022, by Adnan Durakovic

France’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, the 480 MW Saint-Nazaire, has been fully commissioned.

Illustration; Photo source: EDF Renouvleables

The last of the wind farm’s 80 GE Haliade 150-6 MW wind turbines was installed at the site located between 12 and 20 kilometres off the coast of the Guérande peninsula by Jan De Nul’s Vole au vent in early September.

The first offshore wind turbine was installed in April and the wind farm delivered its first power to the French national grid in June.

Back in September, France’s President Emmanuel Macron visited Saint-Nazaire to inaugurate the wind farm.

Saint-Nazaire, also known as Parc éolien en mer du Banc de Guérande, is owned and developed by Eolien Maritime France (EMF), a consortium of EDF Renouvelables, Enbridge, and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

”This renewable electricity production facility would not have been possible without a close cooperation with the French government and its stakeholders, municipality, environmental associations, fishermen, economic players and local residents,” Bruno Bensasson, EDF Group Senior Executive Vice-President Renewable Energies and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EDF Renewables, said.

”Over the past 10 years, this project has contributed to the construction of the offshore wind power industry in France and has mobilized a significant number of jobs during construction and now in the operating phase. This first wind farm is part of the EDF Group’s strategy to double its net capacity of global renewable energy to reach 60 GW in 2030. We are also participating in the National Low-Carbon Strategy of the government, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through energy conservation, nuclear power and the acceleration of renewables.”

About one hundred people will continue to be employed at the site to help ensure the operation and maintenance of the wind farm in La Turballe, France.

”Enbridge is excited about the arrival of the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in France, the Saint-Nazaire Offshore Wind Farm, and about our role as a leader of the global energy transition,” Matthew Akman, Senior Vice President, Power, Strategy and New Energy Technology, Enbridge, said.

”We’re advancing several renewable energy projects in Europe and North America, and we are proud to have met this achievement ahead of schedule. We extend our appreciation and thanks to our partners, EDF Renewables and CPP Investments, and look forward to continuing our work together to grow France’s offshore wind sector.”