Offshore wind: Iberdrola invests in France

©Ailes Marines Iberdrola

“This will be the first Breton wind farm.” Stéphane Alain Riou, Offshore Director at Iberdrola France, is excited about the prospect of completing this 12-year project, “which will be able to produce green electricity for 835,000 people”, he says. Ailes Marines is a fully-owned subsidiary of Iberdrola and was set up especially for the Saint-Brieuc wind farm. By now, Iberdrola, the largest European energy company and leader in onshore wind, is currently seeking to capitalise on its offshore expertise to gain additional French offshore projects.

Local skills

Ailes Marines is taking advantage of the recent marine renewable energy terminal construction at the Port of Brest, which Riou says has facilitated “the construction of foundations using 15 Breton subcontractors, followed by the installation of the Haizea Breizh assembly plant bringing 40 jobs”. Before putting the shipbuilding companies to work, Ailes Marines enlisted the services of research facilities and laboratories: “Ten years of consultation, over 1,500 meetings, collaboration with the fishers to preserve the Saint-Jacques scallop beds and to support all types of fishing activity, and joint publications with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the University of Brest, etc.” Ailes Marines prioritises the skills and expertise of local Breton partners.

An attractive French market

Stéphane Alain Riou would like to see the creation of an industrial cluster in France: “Wind turbine manufacturers, maritime and port services, maintenance etc. After Saint-Nazaire and Saint-Brieuc, France should continue its efforts and seek to ensure there are no missing links in the production chain.” Iberdrola is taking part in several tendering processes, including for a fixed offshore wind farm in Normandy and floating wind turbines off southern Brittany and in the Mediterranean. “There are plenty of challenges for the ports which will have to respond to the needs of industry. And Brest can look forward to reaching out and attracting European industrial projects.”