France Installing First Wind Farm at Sea a Decade After Approval
- EDF group expects to finish Atlantic project this year
- Scaling up offshore wind is key to Europe’s climate goals
Off shore wind turbines near Liverpool, England.
Photographer: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
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A decade after receiving government approval, a consortium that includes Electricite de France SA’s renewables unit started installing turbines for France’s first offshore wind farm as the nation tries to diversify beyond nuclear power.
The Saint Nazaire wind farm is 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) off the west coast and should produce about 20% of the power demand in the Loire-Atlantique region, where about 1.5 million people live. The 480-megawatt site should be completed this year.