A project capable of supplying 800,000 homes with electricity. In an interview with the daily The Channel Press, the Minister for Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, revealed to whom was attributed the construction of the offshore wind farm off the coast of Cotentin. This project, “Centre Manche 1”, will be built by the consortium “Éoliennes en Mer Manche Normandie” which brings together EDF Renewables and its partner, the Canadian group Maple Power.
“This is a fleet of 1 GW of installed power, which will correspond to the electricity consumption of two million French people”, underlines the minister. After impact study and administrative authorizations obtained, construction should begin “by 2026-2027” with a possible connection to the grid in 2031.
While six candidates were in the running for this project, the Regulatory and Energy Commission (CRE) took into account the price in particular, but other criteria were studied such as “local content and social engagement” proposed by EDF. Thus, 10% of the services relating to the project and 6% for the construction will be entrusted to SMEs.
And Agnès Pannier-Runacher adds: “By the offers, that of EDF offered the cheapest price of electricity. » A price of 45 euros per MW/h for this first park off Barfleur, once morest 44 euros for the one that EDF already offers for the Dunkirk offshore park that the company had also won.
More than 6,000 jobs at stake
What regarding the heritage impact with the Vauban towers of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue in particular? Everything has been taken into account according to the minister with the installation of wind turbines 32 kilometers from the coast “and more than 40 kilometers from the Vauban towers”. According to the Minister, fishing activity should also be “preserved”.
As for the wind turbines, who will supply them? Is General Electric’s Halaide X the favorite with its blades manufactured in Cherbourg? Again ” too early “ to answer it, slips the Minister of Energy Transition, who nevertheless recalls that France “has on its soil 30% of the production plants of the offshore wind turbine sector in Europe”. In addition to General Electric, there is Siemens and the Chantiers de l’Atlantique. As a result, more than 6,600 jobs.
At the same time, the ministry is launching a new call for tenders, this time for the floating wind farm in southern Brittany and a “entry into the competitive dialogue phase” for the selection of successful candidates for the Sud-Atlantique wind farm at Oléron.
“We have a very clear roadmap, and we are sticking to our schedule”, assures Agnès Pannier-Runacher. The minister still wants “accelerate the deployment of offshore wind turbines” et “simplify procedures”. With new technologies, parks can be pushed further from the coast. In the next thirty years, the objective is to develop 40 GW of renewable energies.
