Ocean Winds has marked a key milestone in the development of the 400MW Îles d’Yeu et de Noirmoutier (EMYN) offshore wind farm with the installation of its first turbine. The project, located off the French coast near the islands of Yeu and Noirmoutier, aims to generate clean, renewable electricity for approximately 800,000 people.
A total of 61 Siemens Gamesa turbines will be installed between May and September this year, each with an 8MW capacity. The turbines’ blades and nacelles are being manufactured in Le Havre, France, underscoring the project’s commitment to local industry.
Marc Hirt, Ocean Winds’ country manager for France, commented, “The installation of EMYN’s first turbine is a powerful demonstration of Ocean Winds’ commitment to France’s energy transition and our contribution to offshore wind development in the country and in the region.” He added, “A remarkable feature of EMYN is its strong European and French industrial footprint for the construction phase: 95% of the project’s Tier 1 suppliers are European, with over 50% sourced in France.”
After pre-assembly at the Port of Saint-Nazaire, the turbines are being installed at sea by Jan de Nul. The project’s first turbine installation was completed following an offshore operation involving teams from the EMYN project, its contractors, and partners.
Frédéric Flaus, EMYN project director, remarked, “We are proud to have successfully installed the first wind turbine on the EMYN project, a symbol of the excellent collaboration between all contractors and the EMYN project team. With this milestone, we have entered the final months of construction before commissioning at the end of the year.”
Once operational, the wind farm will create 85 long-term direct jobs, including around 60 positions on the island of Yeu for operations and maintenance activities. The construction phase has already mobilized more than 1,500 direct and indirect jobs, with around 1,000 of those at Siemens Gamesa factories in Le Havre for the production of nacelles and blades.
Peter De Pooter, manager of offshore energy structures at Jan De Nul, added, “This project represents another meaningful step toward accelerating the shift to renewable energy, and it strengthens our track record in delivering offshore wind projects in France and across Europe.”
Ocean Winds has four offshore wind farms under development or construction in France, including EMYN, representing a total capacity of 1.3GW.
