Iberdrola’s first French offshore wind farm officially supplies electricity to the grid, the company’s fourth offshore wind project in Europe. This commissioning further reinforces the group’s position as a leader in offshore wind.
Electricity from offshore wind feeds-in to the grid in Brittany for the first time, as the wind farm is connected to the national electricity grid managed by RTE.
The production of the wind farm will increase as further wind turbines are commissioned. Ultimately, the project will produce 9% of Brittany’s total electricity consumption.
The first green megawatt hours from offshore renewable energy in Brittany
The first green megawatts produced from Iberdrola’s Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm have been connected into the French national electricity grid by its manager, RTE. The project is Iberdrola’s first in France, and only the second offshore wind project to produce power in the country.
After a testing phase, the initial electricity to flow from the wind farm was connected to the grid on July 5th under the supervision of Iberdrola’s maritime coordination center based in Kerantour (Côtes d’Armor).
The production of the wind farm will increase as the 62 wind turbines are installed and commissioned in the months ahead.
“It is with great pride that we have started producing clean energy from the first wind turbines in the project. This is a landmark moment, following 12 years of hard work to deliver this mega-scale project, which contributes both to the energy security of Brittany and to the energy transition, a key element in the battle against climate change,” said Emmanuel Rollin, CEO of Iberdrola France.
The electricity produced is collected by the offshore electrical substation located in the center of the wind farm. It is transported by two subsea export cables with a voltage of 225 kV installed by RTE (Réseau de Transport d’Électricité) to Caroual beach, in Erquy. Electricity is connected into the grid via the Doberie substation located in Hénansal (Côtes-d’Armor).
The project will produce about 1,820 GWh/year, which corresponds to the annual electricity consumption of 835,000 inhabitants (including heating) or 9% of Brittany’s total electricity consumption. Once fully commissioned, the territory of Côtes-d’Armor (600 000 inhabitants) will produce more energy than it consumes domestically. The Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm increases Brittany’s energy security, while contributing to the objectives of the Multiannual Energy Program (PPE).
