France produces offshore wind power for the first time

Electricity from offshore wind turbines off the coast of Saint-Nazaire in western France was generated for the first time in the country last week.

Wind turbines at the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm in western France on 9 June, 2022. © Reuters/Staphane Mahe

"The Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm has produced the first megawatt-hours from French offshore wind," announced the consortium operating the farm (EDF Renewables, Enbridge and CPP) and RTE.

This represents "an important step for the energy transition", the partners said.

[#EolienEnMer] Depuis cette semaine, votre #électricité⚡️ a aussi le goût du #large 🌊

➡️Très heureux d'annoncer la mise sur le réseau électrique @rte_france des 1ers électrons produits en mer depuis notre parc @EolienMerSNA 🇫🇷

Une étape majeure pour la #TransitionEnergetique pic.twitter.com/O9u5Vim5Ew

— EDF Renouvelables (@EDF_RE) June 10, 2022

Saint-Nazaire, the first offshore windfarm to be put into service in France, will eventually have 80 wind turbines, to be progressively installed by the end of the year.

Since the first installation in April, 27 turbines have been set up.

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Other offshore wind farms are under construction in France. One in Fécamp, Normandy, is due to come on stream in 2023, ahead of those in Saint-Brieuc, in Brittany, and Courseulles-sur-Mer, also in Normandy.

French President Emmanuel Macron wants to install 50 offshore wind farms by 2050, with a total capacity of 40GW, and to slow down the development of onshore wind power.

(with wires)