The first components of the floating wind turbine, developed by renewable energy company Eolink as part of the France-Atlantique Project, arrived at the port of Brest.
The project will deliver the largest operational floating wind turbine on the French Atlantic coast to meet the energy needs for 6,500 people.
The arrival of the inaugural components signals the beginning of assembly of the steel float and superstructures of Eolink’s innovative wind turbine on the Marine Renewable Energies polder under the stewardship of Brest Port.
With a dedicated team of 30 managing the entire value chain, including manufacturing, logistics, assembly, and integration, Brest-based EOLINK sets a standard for efficiency and precision.
Collaborating with around ten companies, Eolink's assembly process is poised to engage an 80-strong workforce, with work commencing in the spring upon the delivery of prefabricated steel blocks. On completion, the floating structure, measuring 52m on each side and standing at a towering height of 150m, will be the largest of its kind on the French Atlantic coast.
Following assembly in the port of Brest, the wind turbine will embark on its journey to the test site off the coast of Le Croisic. With the anchors already installed in July 2023, the commissioning of the unit is scheduled for spring 2025.
Once operational, the wind turbine will produce approximately 14 GWh per year.
“Eolink's ambitions on the port of Brest are strong, and the manufacturing of our 5 MW wind turbine on the polder constitutes a first concrete step towards an floating offshore wind industry off the Atlantic coast. The aim is to create an industrial sector that combines energy transition and reindustrialization,” said Marc Guyot, founder and CEO of Eolink.
The France-Atlantique project not only underscores France's commitment to offshore wind power - with a target of 50 offshore wind farms by 2050 - but also positions the Atlantic coast as a key player in achieving ambitious renewable energy targets.
