- Iberdrola, through its subsidiary Ailes Marines, today announces the full commissioning of Saint-Brieuc – the second offshore wind farm in France and the first in Brittany. To date, it is equipped with the most powerful turbines ever installed on a wind farm in France.
- With an annual production of 1,820 GWh/year, the 62 wind turbines represent the annual electricity consumption of 835,000 inhabitants (including heating), i.e. 9% of the total electricity consumption of Brittany.
- Saint-Brieuc is the 4th offshore wind farm developed, built and operated by Iberdrola in the world after those of West of Duddon Sands (Irish Sea, 389 MW), Wikinger (Baltic Sea, 350 MW) and East Anglia One (North Sea, 714 MW).
- Iberdrola has also started construction of Baltic Eagle (476 MW) in Germany, East Anglia 3 (1.4 GW) in the United Kingdom and Vineyard Wind 1 (806 MW), the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the United States.
Iberdrola has announced that Saint-Brieuc has become the second fully operational offshore wind farm in France and the first in Brittany.
As of 28th May 2024, all wind turbines are operational in the project, which has a total capacity of 496 MW (megawatts). The entire production from the 62 turbines is now feeding into the national electricity grid, managed by RTE.
To date, the 8 MW turbines are the most powerful to be installed on an offshore wind farm in France.
Located off the coast of Brittany, the park’s production is around 1,820 GWh/year (gigawatt hours per year), which represents 9% of Brittany’s total electricity consumption.
With this new commissioning, Iberdrola consolidates its position as a leader in the development and operation of offshore wind globally.
Saint-Brieuc is the 4th offshore wind farm developed, built and operated by Iberdrola in the world, after West of Duddon Sands (Irish Sea, 389 MW), Wikinger (Baltic Sea, 350 MW) and East Anglia One (North Sea, 714 MW).
Iberdrola has also started the construction of Baltic Eagle (476 MW) in Germany, East Anglia 3 (1.4 GW) in the United Kingdom and Vineyard Wind 1 (806 MW), the first offshore wind farm in the United States.
“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. 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 realization of this major industrial project, which is supporting the energy transition and employment in France,” says Emmanuel Rollin, Director France of Iberdrola.
“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 ,” comments Stéphane-Alain Riou, Director of Offshore Wind Energy at Iberdrola France.
A contribution to the French offshore wind energy sector
The total investment in the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm, which started development in April 2012, amounts to €2.4 billion, 100% financed by Iberdrola.
The development and construction of the wind farm has mobilized more than 1700 jobs in France, including more than 500 jobs in Brittany.
Since 2012, through its subsidiary Ailes Marines, Iberdrola has helped to make the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm a driver of local economic development, offering many opportunities for regional companies to join forces and further develop their activity.
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 wind turbines was assembled by the company Haizea Breizh, also on the Brest polder.
The wind 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.
