Picture courtesy of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has been awarded a firm order from the EDF Renewables/Enbridge/wpd consortium for the 448MW Courseulles-sur-Mer offshore wind power project. Located 10km off the Bessin coast, the project brings the total capacity awarded to Siemens Gamesa by the consortium in France to approximaely 1GW. Both the wind turbine nacelles and blades for the Courseulles-sur-Mer project will be produced at the Siemens Gamesa facility which is currently under construction in Le Havre.

Marc Becker, CEO of the Siemens Gamesa offshore business unit, said: “We are delighted to again be the partner of choice for EDF Renewables, Enbridge and wpd, and to deliver our second firm French offshore order to them. As we unlock more of the future of wind in France, we thank them for their vote of confidence in our technology, people, and ambitious growth plans in the country.

“Our facility in Le Havre and the Courseulles-sur-Mer project including service will provide local jobs and value for years to come.”

The 448MW project will rely upon the stable technology of the SWT-7.0-154 Direct Drive offshore wind turbine, a part of the world’s most installed offshore turbine fleet. Installation and commissioning of the Courseulles-sur-Mer project is scheduled for 2024.

Together with the 497MW Fécamp offshore wind power project signed with the EDF Renewables-Enbridge-wpd consortium in 2020, this project cements the company as the leader in the French offshore wind power industry. Siemens Gamesa has an additional firm order in France for the 496MW Bay of Saint Brieuc offshore wind power plant with Ailes Marine and has also been named preferred supplier for the 496MW Dieppe le Tréport and 496MW Yeu Noirmoutier offshore wind projects.

Complete offshore nacelles and blades under one roof
The Siemens Gamesa facility under construction on the Quai Joannès Couvert in the Port of Le Havre will be the first in the world to manufacture complete offshore nacelles and blades under one roof. It is the largest industrial project in the French renewable energy industry to date and will be used to supply Siemens Gamesa offshore wind projects in France and potentially for export markets. Start of operation for the plant is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2022.

Expected to create approximately 750 direct and indirect jobs when fully operational, particularly in the fields of composite materials, mechanical assembly, and logistics, the facility has already started recruiting.

Over 1,000 Siemens Gamesa Direct Drive offshore wind turbines have already been installed in all major offshore wind markets globally, including the UK, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Taiwan and the USA. Furthermore, confirmed orders for more than 1,000 additional Offshore Direct Drive turbines have been received, for these markets as well as for developing offshore markets.