Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has erected the first of 62 turbines that will make up the 496-MW Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm in French waters, the project developer, Spanish utility Iberdrola SA (BME:IBE), announced on Friday.
The SG 8.0-167 DD machine was installed on position number SB44, located on the northern part of the project site, and is now the first offshore wind turbine in the sea of Brittany. The rest of the turbines will be assembled line by line in the coming months.
The installation process is being conducted from the jack-up vessel Brave Tern of Norway’s Fred. Olsen Windcarrier. The vessel carries four towers, four nacelles and 12 blades every time it embarks from Le Havre.
“After more than a decade of efforts and commitment from the Brittany region, local stakeholders and Iberdrola teams, this first wind turbine manufactured in Le Havre and equipped in Brest is also the culmination of a great industrial adventure, of which we can all be very proud,” commented Emmanuel Rollin, managing director of Iberdrola France.
Upon completion, the wind park will have the capacity to generate some 1,820 GWh a year.
