The country’s first offshore wind farm, off Saint-Nazaire, will be officially connected to the national electricity grid this Wednesday, November 23, following an official ceremony. It is the birth of a new sector in which EDF is in a good position, but is not alone. Interview with Bruno Bensasson, executive director of EDF, renewable energy division and CEO of EDF Renouvelables.
The first French offshore wind farm will be 100% operational from this Wednesday, November 23, 2022. Is this a source of pride for EDF Renouvelables?
A great pride, the culmination of a ten-year project. Deadlines and costs were respected as well as the level of personal safety in a potentially dangerous maritime environment. We have created an industrial sector in France with 2,300 jobs mobilized, including 1,200 in Loire-Atlantique. This is a new carbon-free energy solution in France. EDF Renewables thus participates in the energy transition by producing the electricity consumption of 700,000 people. The 80 wind turbines will turn 90% of the time to generate the equivalent of 40% of energy at full power.
Read also: The Saint-Nazaire marine wind farm will help pay for the energy shield
Does the French sector now seem solid to you?
The calls for tenders of 2012 supported this nascent sector. It is now structured, has gained skills and confirms the comparative advantages it could have. We are still at the beginning of the adventure but