Following Siemens Gamesa’s decision to replace Adwen’s 8MW turbines, proposed to be installed at three French offshore wind farms, Ailes Marines informed it had sought the approval from the French Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, Nicolas Hulot, with the decision expected shortly.
Siemens Gamesa, now the owner of Adwen, has announced that it will discontinue the manufacturing of Adwen’s AD8 model as it wants to focus its offer only on one 8MW platform. Subsequently, the company plans to replace the AD8 turbine at three French projects for which the model was selected with Siemens D8 offshore wind turbine.
The switch for the projects being developed by Eoliennes en Mer Iles d’Yeu et de Noirmoutier and Eoliennes en Mer Dieppe Le Tréport has been approved by the French Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition after review by the Energy Regulation Commission (CRE), while the change for the Bay of Saint-Brieuc project is under the approval process.
Ailes Marines reported that Siemens Gamesa informed it of the decision to stop manufacturing the AD8 wind turbine, selected by Ailes Marines in 2014. In light of this change, Ailes Marines has sought approval from the French Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, Nicolas Hulot. The developer expects a decision to be brought in the coming weeks.
Ailes Marines pointed out that the proposed change of wind turbine model will not alter the calendar for the development of the Saint-Brieuc project and that the project will also retain its technical features.
The Bay of Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm will comprise 62 wind turbines mounted on jacket foundations, one offshore substation, as well the associated cables.
Emmanuel Rollin , project director, commented on the turbine model switch and the industrial plan set out by Adwen and confirmed by Siemens Gamesa: “Ailes Marines is totally confident in the technological choices of its supplier Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. The confirmation of the industrial plan announced and their willingness to continue to associate local companies with the manufacturing of this turbine contribute positively to the development and the constitution of the offshore turbine industry in France” .