Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has taken the decision to stop producing the 8-MW AD8 turbines designed by Adwen, which were supposed to be installed at the Yeu–Noirmoutier Islands and Dieppe–Le Tréport offshore wind farms. The company is now offering its 8-MW D8 turbine for the project.

The French Ministry of Ecological and Solidary Transition has approved the change in turbine.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy will uphold Adwen’s industrial commitments in France.

Adwen—now wholly owned by the new entity Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy—notified Eoliennes en Mer, a company set up by ENGIE (47 %), EDP Renewables (43 %) and Caisse des Dépôts (10 %), of its decision to stop producing the AD8-180 turbine. This model was initially meant to be used in the Yeu–Noirmoutier Islands and Dieppe–Le Tréport offshore wind-farm projects, which the consortium won in 2014. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy then decided to focus its production on the D8 model.

The companies Eoliennes en Mer Dieppe – Le Tréport and Eoliennes en Mer Yeu and Noirmoutier Islands submitted this change to the Ministry of Ecological and Solidary Transition for approval. The Ministry approved Siemens’ D8 technology for the project, after consulting with the French Energy Regulator (CRE).

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy will also uphold the industrial commitments of its subsidiary Adwen. On 21 March 2017, Adwen submitted permit applications for blade and nacelle production plants, which will be set up in Le Havre and will create 750 direct jobs. In addition, the decision of the consortium and its turbine supplier to use local manufacturers will help mobilise 750 additional jobs.

Since the approval of the project, the companies Eoliennes en Mer Dieppe – Le Tréport and Eoliennes en Mer Yeu and Noirmoutier Islands have been working to develop two offshore wind farms. Each farm has a total output of 496 MW and the commissioning is expected in 2021. The companies Eoliennes en Mer Dieppe – Le Tréport and Eoliennes en Mer Yeu and Noirmoutier Islands submitted its applications for authorisation to the government in May 2017, in accordance with the timetable outlined in the specifications of the call for bids.

ENGIE, EDP Renewables and Caisse des Dépôts are committed to the success of this local project, and they all share the same goal: to support the emergence of offshore wind power production in France.