Alstom is planning to establish two new sites for the production of offshore wind turbines in the port areas of Saint-Nazaire (Atlantic coast) and Cherbourg (northern France).
Following the call for tenders for offshore wind energy launched in July 2011 by the French government, Alstom wants to build up to two sites dedicated to the production of components and to the assembly of 6 MW offshore wind turbines. These two sites would be for Alstom the first in the world entirely dedicated to offshore wind energy.
The dimensioning of the project will depend on the success in the call for tenders of the consortium led by EDF EN to which Alstom belongs. Alstom’s investments could reach 100 million Euros and generate up to 1000 direct jobs and 4000 indirect jobs.
If the consortium is selected at a level that ensures an industrial critical mass, Alstom plans to establish in Saint-Nazaire the nacelles and generator manufacturing activities, to which would be added, still in Loire-Atlantique, Alstom’s offshore engineering centre; and in Cherbourg, the production of the blades, in partnership with LM Wind Power, as well as the towers manufacturing workshop, which would be set up by Alstom’s supplier, chosen subsequently. The consortium will also announce later the other investments planned as well as their localisation, for example assembly and service facilities.
In both locations Alstom is likely to benefit from an existing network of sub-contractors experienced in electro-mechanical engineering, machining of large parts, handling of heavy packages and knowledge of marine environments. A founder partner of the Jules Verne Technological Research Institute, Alstom has already located in Nantes its research and development activities in the marine energies field.
These industrial projects will allow the production of the 'Haliade 150', claimed by Alstom to be the first new generation 6 MW offshore wind turbine. Its 73.50 metres (241 feet) blades will be the longest in the world and it will be equipped with a permanent magnet generator. This technology is made to be capable of facing up to the severe constraints of the maritime environment and ensuring a reliability as well as an efficiency that is sufficiently high to reduce the cost of the electricity generated.
The first prototype from the new production site will be erected for an onshore test at the beginning of 2012 before the offshore installation of a second machine in the same year. The pre-serial production units are planned in 2013 with a view to serial production from 2014.
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