Press release
The Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm is once again accessible to maritime and fishing activities
● The resumption of maritime and fishing activities in the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm has been effective since July 1, 2024.
● The prefectural decrees governing this resumption validate the commitments and technical solutions made by Iberdrola and its subsidiary Ailes Marines , making it possible to operate the Saint-Brieuc park while maintaining maritime and fishing activities.
JULY
Resumption of maritime and fishing activities within the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm
Since July 1, 2024, maritime and fishing activities have resumed in the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm.
These activities are governed by two prefectural decrees n°2024-138 and n°2024/150 which define a regulated zone in order to ensure the safety of people and property while preserving the environment within the wind farm.
Concerning maritime activities, navigation within the regulated zone is now possible for vessels of less than 25 meters, conditioned by a speed limited to 12 knots and the obligation to carry and issue a AIS automatic identification system depending on weather conditions.
Navigation and any maritime activity remains prohibited within a radius of 50 meters around each of the wind turbines and 200 meters around the electrical substation.
Concerning fishing activities, the prefectural decree defines 4 zones regulating professional fishing practices for trailing gear and sleeping gear.
“For more than a year, Ailes Marines and Iberdrola have worked jointly with representatives of the Maritime prefecture, the Côtes d'Armor prefecture and representatives of sea users, including CDPMEM221, on the resumption of activities at within the park. Several test phases were thus carried out. A first in March 2024 for the dormant arts with the mobilization for several weeks of 3 fishing vessels proposed by the CDPMEM22. A second test phase took place during June 2024 for towing arts with a ship. These successfully carried out tests validated the strong choices for development and construction of the park taken by Ailes Marines to allow the resumption and maintenance of maritime and fishing activities in the operational phase” welcomed Stéphane-Alain Riou Wind Director at sea Iberdrola France.
1. Departmental Committee for Maritime Fisheries and Marine Farming of Côtes d’Armor
A park designed and developed to maintain fishing activities
The Saint-Brieuc park was designed in such a way as to allow the maintenance of navigation and fishing activities within it, both for towing arts and for dormant arts (avoidance of the trawling zone known as “the avenue” , spacing and orientation of wind turbine lines, burying of inter-wind turbine cables, installation of specific marking, etc.)
“ Ailes Marines designed the Saint-Brieuc park by integrating the maintenance and continuation of fishing and maritime navigation activities. Since 2012, in consultation with the CDPMEM22 and the State services, we have defined and opted for numerous technical solutions allowing the maintenance of these activities, such as burying the cables limiting the risk of tripping and therefore accidents. We have kept our commitments for the greatest benefit of professionals and users of the sea” insists Stéphane-Alain Riou Offshore Wind Director Iberdrola France.
Booming environmental tourism
For the past year and a half, tourism around the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm has been booming. In 2023, nearly 5,000 passengers were able to discover the park through the guided tour organized by the shipping company Les Vedettes de Bréhat.
To support this tourist enthusiasm for the park and allow its influence throughout the Costa Rican territory, Iberdrola, through its subsidiary Ailes Marines , has confirmed with the two tourist passenger transport companies, the Vedettes de Bréhat and the Compagnie Corsaire the Vedettes de Saint-Malo, the possibility of evolving within the park while respecting the navigation rules put in place by the maritime prefecture.
To operate within the park, these two companies must still obtain authorization from the maritime prefecture.
About Iberdrola
Iberdrola , the largest electricity supplier in Europe in terms of market capitalization, and one of the three largest in the world, positions itself as a leader in the field of renewable energies, pioneering the energy transition towards a low-cost economy. carbon emissions. The group provides energy to nearly 100 million people in dozens of countries. Iberdrola's main markets, which focus on renewable energy, smart grids and intelligent solutions for customers are Europe (Spain, United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Greece), the United States United, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. The company is also present in growing markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Ireland, Sweden and Poland.
The company employs more than 40,600 people and has assets of more than €154.6 billion. In 2023, Iberdrola recorded a turnover of almost 49.3 billion euros, a net profit of 4.8 billion euros. It helps support more than 400,000 jobs in communities across its supply chain. A benchmark in the fight against climate change, Iberdrola has invested more than 150 billion euros over the last two decades to contribute to the construction of a sustainable energy model, based on solid environmental, social and governance criteria.
About Ailes Marines
Ailes Marines , a French company 100% owned by IBERDROLA, was named the winner in 2012 of the offshore wind call for tenders launched by the State. It developed and built the Saint-Brieuc Bay park, which started production in 2023. Made up of 62 Siemens Gamesa SG 8.0-167 DD 8 MW wind turbines manufactured in Le Havre, for an installed capacity of 496 MW, Saint -Brieuc is the first marine wind farm in Brittany. Its production of 1,820 GWh/year corresponds to the annual electricity consumption of 835,000 inhabitants (heating included) or 9% of the total electricity consumption of Brittany. The project greatly contributed to the launch of the offshore wind industrial sector, mobilizing more than 1,700 jobs in France, including more than 500 in Brittany. From now on, the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm reduces Brittany's energy dependence while contributing to the objectives of the Multi-Annual Energy Program (PPE).
All information concerning the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm project developed by the company Ailes Marines is available on the website https://ailes-marines.bzh/
Iberdrola a committed player in the French market
Present in France for around twenty years, Iberdrola develops, builds and operates renewable energy projects in France, prioritizing respect for the environment and the social and economic development of the regions where its installations are located. The company plans to invest around €47 billion by 2025, mainly in renewable energy projects.
Iberdrola operates 11 onshore wind projects in France with a total installed capacity of 118 MW. Regarding these onshore activities, the company is developing a portfolio of wind and photovoltaic projects of more than 1.2 GW at different stages of advancement, from Paris and with its regional offices in Lyon, Nantes, Nancy, Bordeaux, Limoges and Marseilles. Regarding these offshore activities, the company has completed the installation of the Brittany offshore wind farm with a capacity of 496 MW.
All information concerning the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm project developed by the company Ailes Marines is available on the website www.ailes-marines.bzh
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