Press release
Ailes Marines has selected the French companies Eiffage Métal and Engie Solutions for the manufacture of the electrical substation
of the offshore wind farm in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc.
Saint-Brieuc / Paris / 7 September 2020 - Ailes Marines, a company wholly owned by Iberdrola, in charge of the construction, installation and operation of the offshore wind farm in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc, today announced the award of the contract for the construction of the wind farm's electrical substation to the two French companies Eiffage Métal and ENGIE Solutions.
Eiffage Métal will be in charge of the engineering and construction of the upper part of the substation, housing the transformers and electrical equipment. The company will also manufacture the substation's foundations. ENGIE Solutions will carry out the final assembly work and commissioning tests.
The substation will collect the electricity produced by the 62 wind turbines by raising the electrical voltage through power transformers. The electricity will then be routed by Réseau de Transport d'Electricité (RTE) via two export cables with a voltage of 225,000 volts.
The foundation of the electrical substation is 63 metres high and weighs a total of 1,630 tonnes. The upper part of the substation is 55 metres long, 31 metres wide and 23 metres high, with a total weight of approximately 3,400 tonnes.
September
A European construction site, a source of industrialisation and jobs
The manufacturing of the electrical substation will take several months. The work will mainly be carried out at Eiffage's facilities in Belgium (Arendonk, Balen, Tessenderlo, Hoboken) and Poland (Zary). ENGIE Solutions will carry out the final assembly operations in Hoboken (Belgium) and Vlissingen (Netherlands).
The substation launched from Vlissingen will be delivered in the course of 2022.
With this new contract, Iberdrola confirms both its commitment and its involvement in the green recovery and sustainable growth desired by the European Union and France. The Spanish company Iberdrola is also contributing to the modernisation of the shipbuilding industry in Europe.
The development of the project is accelerating
Since the final investment decision, Ailes Marines has practically finalized the contractualization of all its Tier 1 suppliers for the components of the Saint-Brieuc wind farm.
In September 2019, Ailes Marines selected Navantia to manufacture the foundations of the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm. The company has since moved to Brest polder. This activity will mobilize 250 jobs over 2 years.
In May 2020, Ailes Marines contracted several suppliers, including Siemens Gamesa for the supply of wind turbines in Le Havre, where construction of its plant has just begun. Ailes Marines has also selected Prysmian as supplier of the inter-wind turbine submarine cables, and Van Oord for the transport and installation of the wind farm's foundations.
In July 2020, Ailes Marines selected Saipem for the transport and installation of the foundation and the upper part of the wind farm's electrical substation.
Ailes Marines will soon announce the company selected for the latest contract for the supply and installation of the main electrical equipment for the wind farm's substation.
Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm
The Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm will be built in the bay of Saint-Brieuc in Brittany, 16.3 kilometres off the Breton coast. When completed, the 496 MW wind farm will produce 1,820 GWh per year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 835,000 inhabitants.
Installation of the piles and foundations will start in the first half of 2021. The wind farm will be fully operational in 2023.
"This is the largest contract after those signed with Siemens Gamesa for the supply of the wind turbines and with Navantia-Windar for the foundations. It is encouraging to see European governments presenting stimulus packages for national economies. Green infrastructure, as a major source of industrialisation and skilled and sustainable jobs, is a way out of the crisis as it stimulates activity across the entire value chain. In this sense, the Saint-Brieuc Bay wind farm is helping to overcome these difficult circumstances, thanks to the support of the team, our supply chain and all stakeholders. We look forward to seeing France accelerate its transition to a fully decarbonised green economy".


About Ailes Marines
Winner of a national tender with the Baie de Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm project, AILES MARINES is in charge of the development, construction, installation and operation of the offshore wind farm. It is a simplified joint stock company (SAS), 100% owned by IBERDROLA Key figures for the Baie de Saint-Brieuc offshore wind project: - 75 km2 area - 62 Siemens Gamesa SG 8.0-167 DD wind turbines, of 8 MW unit capacity - 496 MW installed capacity - 1,820 GWh/year output, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 835,000 inhabitants (including heating) 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/ You can follow Ailes Marines news on twitter @AilesMarines
- 75 km2 in area
- 62 8 MW Siemens-Gamesa wind turbines
- 496 MW of installed capacity
- 1,820 GWh/year of production, i.e. the annual electricity consumption of 835,000 inhabitants (including heating)
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