Iberdrola, through its subsidiary Ailes Marines, has achieved full commissioning of the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm, off the coast of Brittany, France.
As of 28 May 2024, all turbines are operational in the project, which has a total capacity of 496MW.
The entire production from the 62 machines is now feeding into the national electricity grid, managed by RTE.
To date, the 8MW turbines are the most powerful to be installed on an offshore wind farm in France.
“We are particularly proud today to announce the full commissioning of the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm, twelve years after being named the winner and three years after the start of installation work,” said Iberdrola director France Emmanuel Rollin.
He added: “I would like to thank all the stakeholders in the region who have supported us over the years, as well as the teams at Iberdrola and our suppliers, who have been involved since 2012 in the realisation of this major industrial project, which is supporting the energy transition and employment in France.”
Iberdrola France director of offshore wind energy Stephane-Alain Riou said: “The challenge for us, as a European leader in renewables, was to create the foundations of a sustainable industrial sector for French offshore wind power.
“We have worked hard to involve local companies in this project by supporting them in training to develop their skills and expertise in this fast-growing segment.”
The total investment in the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm, which started development in April 2012, amounts to €2.4bn, 100% financed by Iberdrola.
The development and construction of the project has mobilised more than 1700 jobs in France, including more than 500 jobs in Brittany.
The components of the jacket foundation were partly built and assembled on the Brest polder by the Navantia Windar. The electrical equipment for the masts of the 62 units was assembled by the company Haizea Breizh, also on the Brest polder.
The turbines for the Saint-Brieuc wind farm were manufactured in France, on the new industrial site of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, located in the port of Le Havre.
The 62-turbine wind farm is the fourth offshore wind farm developed, built and operated by Iberdrola after those West of Duddon Sands (Irish Sea, 389MW), Wikinger (Baltic Sea, 350MW) and East Anglia One (North Sea, 714MW).