Iberdrola connects 496 MW offshore wind project in France

Iberdrola has connected its 496 MW Saint-Brieuc offshore wind project to the French national electricity grid via RTE, following a testing phase. The facility, situated off the coast of Brittany, features 62 SG 8.0-167 DD turbines that will be installed and commissioned in the coming months, with the production of electricity expected to increase accordingly. The project's two export cables were installed by marine and energy consultancy ABL, which was appointed as owner's engineer in 2019.

The project's installation required the transportation and burial of two high voltage alternating current (HVAC) wires, each measuring 33 km in length. They were installed via jetting and mechanical cutting techniques. Once produced, the electricity is collected by an offshore electrical substation at the heart of the wind farm, before it is transported by two subsea export cables. With a voltage of 225 kV, these cables run from the wind farm to Caroual beach, in Erquy, before feeding into the Doberie substation in Henansal (Cotes-d'Armor), where it enters the grid.

The facility generates 1,820 GWh per year, enough power to meet the daily electricity needs of more than 830,000 homes.