Following a national public tender process, the French State has selected the group comprising GDF SUEZ, EDP Renewables, Neoen Marine and AREVA to install and operate offshore wind farms in the areas of Tréport (the 500MW wind farm in Upper Normandy) and the Isles of Yeu and Noirmoutier (the 500MW wind farm in Pays de la Loire).
GDF SUEZ, EDP Renewables and Neoen Marine have incorporated two local companies, Les Eoliennes en mer de Dieppe-Le Tréport in Rouen and Les Eoliennes en mer de Vendée in Nantes, and have created a dedicated project team. The two wind farms will create almost 6,000 direct and indirect jobs. Various local businesses – in the Grand Ouest (Poitou-Charentes, Pays de la Loire, Brittany, Upper Normandy, Lower Normandy) and in Picardy and Nord-Pas de Calais – will be involved in the manufacturing and installation of the components for the farms.
The choice of the new AREVA 8MW wind turbine will allow for increased productivity and enhanced performance, with a 40% reduction in the number of turbines and greater compatibility with fishing activity. This wind turbine also offers the advantage of cutting construction time and optimising wind farm maintenance.
