Fécamp

Fécamp Offshore Wind Farm Profile

Location

The Fécamp Offshore Wind Farm is located off the coast of Fécamp in the Normandy region of northwest France, specifically between 13 and 24 kilometers from the shore.

Project Capacity and Turbines

• The wind farm has a total capacity of approximately 497 megawatts (MW), although it is sometimes rounded to 500 MW.
• It comprises 71 Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) SWT-7.0-154 offshore wind turbines, each with a capacity of 7 MW.

Ownership and Partners

• The project is owned by a consortium consisting of EDF Renewables and Enbridge, each holding a 35% stake, and wpd offshore holding the remaining 30%.
• Additional partners include CPP Investments and Skyborn Renewables.

Construction and Installation

• Construction began in June 2020, with onshore works starting that year and offshore installation taking place between 2022 and 2023.
• The gravity-based foundations were built at the Grand Port Maritime site in Le Havre and transported to the site. The turbines were manufactured at the SGRE plant in Le Havre and assembled at the Port of Cherbourg.
• A consortium of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Saipem, and Boskalis was responsible for the design, construction, and installation of the foundations. Chantiers de l’Atlantique, GE Grid Solutions, and SDI worked on the offshore electrical substation.

Environmental and Social Impact

• The wind farm will generate electricity sufficient to meet the annual power needs of approximately 770,000 people, or more than 60% of the Seine-Maritime department’s population.
• It is expected to offset two million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
• The project involved significant local engagement and consultation with stakeholders, including fishermen, residents, and environmental associations, to ensure minimal impact on the landscape and environment.

Economic Impact

• The total project capital cost is estimated at around €2 billion (approximately $2 billion USD), with the majority financed through non-recourse project-level debt.
• The construction phase created over 1,400 local jobs, and about 100 ongoing full-time jobs have been created for maintenance operations over the 25-year service life of the wind farm.

Operational Details

• The wind farm was fully operational as of June 2024, with the first megawatt-hour produced in July 2023.
• The electricity generated is sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) granted by the state in June 2018.
• The wind turbines are connected by cables to an offshore electrical substation, which is then linked to the public electricity transmission network in Normandy via underwater and underground connections.

Technical Specifications

• The wind turbines are installed on gravity-based foundations at seabed depths between 25 and 30 meters.
• Each foundation has a weight of up to 5,000 metric tons and was constructed in the Bougainville maritime works yard in Le Havre.
• The wind farm covers an area of approximately 60 square kilometers, with the turbines aligned in the direction of the current to allow for fishing activities.

Maintenance and Operation

• The maintenance base is located on the Grand Quai peninsula in Fécamp, supporting the ongoing operations of the wind farm.
• SGRE will provide maintenance services for the turbines for 15 years.

This project aligns with EDF’s CAP 2030 strategy to double its renewable energy capacity to 50 GW by 2030 and contributes significantly to France’s energy transition objectives, aiming for a 33% share of renewable energy in its energy mix by 2030.