Offshore wind to cover 20% of Loire-Atlantique’s electricity needs

The Saint Nazaire offshore wind farm will be located between 12km and 20 km of the coast in the Northern part of the Bay of Biscay and cover an area of 78 km². The site was selected due to strong and steady winds, and a shallow water depth between 12 and 25 meters. The 480 MW wind farm will ultimately generate the equivalent of 20% of the Loire-Atlantique’s electricity consumption needs.

The Saint Nazaire offshore wind farm project is developed by Parc du Banc de Guérande, a consortium of EDF Renouvelables and Enbridge, and was awarded in 2012 by the French Government. Construction and operating permits were given in 2017 with the final decision from the Conseil d’Etat in June 2019. The wind farm is due for commissioning in 2022.

The project is being developed as a part of the French government’s aim to increase the country’s renewable energy share of total consumption to 32% by 2030.

COWI has been part of the project since the tender design in 2016 and was awarded the detailed design of the monopile foundations in 2019.