Six French offshore wind clusters and business groups have joined forces under the France Offshore Renewables banner to facilitate access to companies in the country by international decision-makers.
During WindEurope, in Copenhagen from 25-27 April, Bretagne Ocean Power, Neopolia, Normandie Maritime, Aquitaine Blue Energies, Wind’Occ and Sudeole, will officially join forces.
The France Offshore Renewables alliance forms a network of more than 500 companies in the country’s supply chain.
Its objective is to provide international decision-makers with easy access to French companies in the offshore wind industry.
France aims to have built 50 offshore wind farms by 2050 within the three French maritime façades, to reach 40GW, giving project developers the necessary visibility to invest and call on local skills, requiring a new organisation of the country’s supply chain.
France Offshore Renewables is positioned as the gateway to companies in French territories involved in offshore renewables projects via regional clusters and business groups: Brittany (Bretagne Ocean Power), Pays de la Loire (Neopolia), Normandy (Normandie Maritime), New Aquitaine (Aquitaine Blue Energies), Occitania (Wind’Occ) and the Southern Region (Sudeole).
This alliance brings together more than 500 French companies, most of which already have strong national and international references.
Positioned across the entire value chain, they can respond to the industrial challenges of developers, supported in particular by port infrastructures dedicated to offshore projects in each of these regions.
“Right from the start of the offshore wind farm project off the Bay of Saint-Brieuc, Ailes Marines (a subsidiary of Iberdrola) and its main contractors worked with the Breton clusters” said chief executive of Iberdrola France Emmanuel Rollin.
“This has helped to identify and involve the companies that are likely to participate in the project, as well as the training and certification needs.
“This close collaboration, supported by the regional authorities, made it possible to mobilise more than 500 jobs in Brittany for more than 100 companies.”