Ailes Marines, a subsidiary of Iberdrola, has announced the successful completion of the installation of 62 offshore turbines at the 496MW Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm in France. The final 8MW turbine was installed on position SB49 on December 17, 2023, by the jack-up vessel Brave Tern from Norwegian company Fred Olsen Windcarrier.
The installation process, which commenced in May 2023, saw the Brave Tern vessel completing 18 rotations from Le Havre, transporting the constituent elements of three to four turbines on each trip. The wind farm, operational since July 2023, is set to undergo commissioning until the first quarter of 2024.
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Iberdrola France Offshore Wind Director, Stéphane Alain Riou, expressed pride in the achievement, highlighting the adherence to the initially announced timeline. Riou emphasized Iberdrola's prowess in executing large-scale projects and reaffirmed the company's leadership in offshore wind power. Saint-Brieuc represents the first French offshore wind farm and the fourth in Europe developed and built by the Iberdrola Group.
Riou provided insight into Iberdrola's broader offshore wind initiatives, citing the ongoing construction of the East Anglia 3 park in the United Kingdom with a capacity of 1.4GW and the Vineyard park in the United States with 800MW. The company's total investment in offshore wind farms worldwide has exceeded €10bn, underscoring its commitment to financing and installing projects within specified timelines.
The commissioning of the Saint-Brieuc wind farm has been conducted in stages, with the first tranche of 20% already operational. The second tranche, constituting 50%, is slated for completion at the beginning of 2024, reaching 100% during the first quarter of the same year.
