First nacelle for Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm (VIDEO)

Wednesday, September 16 2020

GE Renewable Energy has completed the first nacelle to be installed at France’s first offshore wind farm.

This nacelle, which contains the generator, is the first in a series of 80 Haliade 150-6 MW wind turbines produced for the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm to be assembled by GE Renewable Energy at the Montoir-de-Bretagne production site.

The turbines will be located 12 to 20 kilometres off the coast and expected to be fully operational in 2022.

”At GE Renewable Energy, we are excited to be engaging our skills and know-how in this historic project. By producing these 80 Haliade 150-6MW wind turbines, we enhance our contribution to consolidating the French wind farm industry, a competitive, exportable industry with long-term prospects, and that generates employment,” said President & CEO of GE Renewable Energy, Jérôme Pécresse.

Along with the ongoing turbine manufacturing work, earthworks are being finalized in preparation for the storage and assembly of the wind turbine components in the port of Saint-Nazaire. The wind turbines will be stored there starting in 2021.

Construction at the wind farm will begin in 2021 with the installation of the foundations and burying of the inter-array cables. The wind farm’s offshore substation will be installed during the summer of 2021. The installation of the export cable started in August.

In spring 2022, the first wind turbines could be installed offshore and progressively commissioned. This start-up process will last until the year-end.

Watch the ceremony video.