Down to Earth – Offshore wind: France’s turbine turmoil – FRANCE 24

Issued on: 02/07/2021 - 13:36

Unlike its European neighbours, France has been remarkably reluctant to accept offshore wind technology. In a country where nuclear still reigns supreme, earmarked projects have often stalled, mired in debate and controversy. But with growing pressure to develop renewable energy infrastructure, is France ready to embrace the winds of change? We take a closer look in this edition of Down to Earth.

A single offshore turbine

France has only one offshore turbine, installed for research purposes in Saint-Nazaire, off the coast of Brittany. That's in contrast to 1,500 in Germanyand more than 2,000 in the United Kingdom.

The floating test turbine measures the amount of electricity produced under different conditions, including wind speeds of 170km/h and waves of 13 metres.

Compared to onshore, an offshore wind turbine turns more quickly and for longer, meaning it produces more electricity.

Bertrand Alessandrini, a marine engineering researcher at Centrale Nantes, says France is one of very few countries to still ask whether wind power has a future.He says:"The real question is: will France, which has the assets to be a leader in this form of energy, seize the opportunity or not?''

France does however have grand ambitions10 GW of installed power, the equivalent of almost 10 nuclear reactors, by 2035.

'Keeping the sea alive'

Many fishermen off the coast of Brittany are united in their fight against a 62-turbine offshore wind project, currently under construction near Saint-Brieuc.

Local sea snail fisherman Florentin Saulnier warns it will impact his livelihood as well as biodiversity in the bay. It also means he will needto travel further away to fish, wasting precious time and money.

He says fishermen are not interestedin subsidiesto compensate for the damagethey simply want to live off theirwork.

Offshore turbines and biodiversity are compatible

BOB is a 15-metre-highyellowbiodiversity observation buoy. It's been set up off the coast of Leucate in the Mediterranean Sea, in another site designated for turbines, in this case floating ones.

Gilles Lecaillon from Ecocean, the company behind the project, explains that one of BOB's goals is to learn about the biodiversity that can live on artificial structures 15 or 16km offshore.

Below the buoy, Ecocean has built small habitats, called biohuts, which are artificial nurseries that offer both shelter and food to young fish, allowing them to survive in areas where they wouldn't normally be able to.

Results so far are encouraging and Lecaillon says the next phase will involve building these microhabits onto a floating turbine.

Lecaillon hopes he will be able to show fishermen that there may be more fish, not less, around floating offshore wind projects. He adds:"I sincerely believe that offshore wind turbines and marine biodiversity, at least underwater, can be compatible and positive."

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Down to Earth - Offshore wind: France's turbine turmoil - FRANCE 24