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The French government has announced winners for four out of five tenders for offshore wind farms that will generate up to 3GW. A consortium led by EDF and Dong won three of the contracts, and the fourth was won by a consortium led by Spain's Iberdrola. The fifth tender, which had just one bid from GDF Suez and Siemens, was not awarded.
The EDF/Dong consortium, which also includes Nass & Wind and WPD Offshore, will install up to 240 turbines offshore of St Nazare, Coursuelles sur Mer and Fecamp. The 6MW turbines to be installed will be supplied by Alstom, which followed the government decision by confirming plans to build four new factories in St Nazaire and Cherbourg to manufacture the turbines. Nacelles and generators will be manufactured at Cherbourg, while blades and towers will be made at St Nazaire, with production expected to ramp up in 2014. In addition, an engineering and R&D centre dedicated to marine energies will be established in the Pays de la Loire region.
Alstom said “The industrial plan represents the first stage in a campaign to create a national industry that sets the standard in offshore wind power. This investment will help meet the needs of the French market and the booming European market..”
At Saint Breuc, the fourth site, the Iberdrola-led consortium will install 100 5MW turbines manufactured by Areva in Le Havre. The consortium, dubbed Ailes Marines, (meaning literally Sea Wings) includes Eole-RES and technology partners Areva, Technip and Neoen Marine. Areva will manufacture turbines at a factory in Le Havre and will also be responsible for their maintenance. Technip will handle installation of cables, foundations and turbines. The consortium has also signed agreements with French companies STX and Eiffage to manufacture jacket type foundations
Keith Anderson, chief executive of the Offshore Division of Iberdrola, said:
“We have overcome tough competition and this decision is a vote of confidence for the Iberdrola-Eole-RES led consortium as well as a milestone in the creation of a permanent offshore industry for France. The development, construction and operation of this wind project will lead to the creation of 2,000 jobs, many of them based in Northwestern France, and give a significant boost to the economy in Brittany.”
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