Fécamp wind farm is a 500MW offshore wind farm being developed off the coast of Fécamp in France.
The wind farm will generate sufficient electricity to fulfil the demands of 770,000 people in Seine-Maritime. It will also offset two million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
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EDF Renewables and Enbridge own 35% each through Éolien Maritime France, while wpd offshore owns the remaining 30% interest.
Fécamp wind farm project is in line with EDF’s CAP 2030 strategy, which is aimed at doubling the company’s renewable capacity to 50GW between 2015 and 2030.
The project is being developed with an estimated investment of €2bn ($2.25bn). A majority of the capital will be arranged through non-recourse project-level debt.
The electricity generated from the project will be sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) signed by the partners in June 2018. Launched in June 2020, the wind farm project is expected to be completed in 2023. It will employ 100 people for maintenance operations over 25 years of operational life.
Fécamp wind farm location
Fécamp wind farm will be located in Seine-Maritime in the Normandy region of northwest France.
The wind turbines will be located between 13km and 22km off the coast of Fécamp. The site was selected due to strong and regular wind and shallow depth of 30m.
Fécamp wind farm make-up
The wind farm will include 71 SWT-7.0-154 offshore wind turbines with a capacity of 7MW each.
The turbines are specifically designed for sea installation, while the high power rating enables high overall power for the wind farm with a lower number of turbines.
The streamlined shape of the blades ensures maximum wind is captured, while the nacelle contains the generator for producing electricity. The mast houses essential electrical elements and also supports the nacelle and the blades. Each turbine will be installed on a gravity foundation, which is a large concrete structure filled with ballast. The gravity foundations will be built in concrete and placed on the seabed.
The gravity foundation of the measurement mast has a total weight of 1,800t. The large mass of these foundations will provide stability while also supporting the weight of the equipment.
The wind turbines will convert wind energy into electricity and will be connected by cables buried at an electrical substation at sea. The substation will be connected to the electrical network in Normandy by an underwater link first and then by an underground link.
The wind farm will be connected to the public electricity transmission network by a double bond at 225,000V underwater and underground connection. A double bond is made up of two electrical circuits with each circuit comprising three cables.
Construction details
The project will involve the installation of 71 gravity-based foundations for the wind farm. The structures will be built at the Grand Port Maritime site in Le Havre, creating 600 jobs.
The turbines will be manufactured at the Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) manufacturing plant to be built in Le Havre, while assembly will take place at the Port of Cherbourg.
Onshore construction works will begin in 2020, including site preparation works to facilitate the construction of gravity-based structures, as well as the construction of the Siemens plant and construction of the maintenance base at Fécamp.
The project activities in 2021 will continue with land-based works, followed by the installation of the wind farm between 2022 and 2023.
Contractors involved in Fécamp Offshore Wind Farm
SGRE will manufacture and supply the wind turbines and provide maintenance for 15 years.
A consortium of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Saipem and Boskalis was contracted for the design, construction and installation of the foundations.
Chantiers de l’Atlantique, GE Grid Solutions and SDI will carry out works for the offshore electrical substation.
Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE) will connect the wind farm from the electrical substation to the grid.
A consortium led by GTM Normandie-Centre will construct the new Siemens Gamesa manufacturing plant.
