Sian Crampsie
French offshore wind energy developer Ailes Marines says it is on track to start construction of its Saint-Brieuc project after the French Council of State rejected appeals opposing it.
Ailes Marines – whose shareholders include RES, Caisse des Dépôts and Iberdrola – said that the court’s decision was good news for France’s offshore wind energy sector, and that construction would start in 2021.
Environmental conservation organization Gardez les caps and renewable energy developer Nass & Wind brought the legal case against the 496 MW wind farm, citing irregularities in the competitive tender for the project, held in 2012.
The Council of State ruled that although there was an irregularity in the tender, it did not have any bearing on the outcome of the process.
It awarded €2.5 million in compensation to Nass & Wind, which competed in the tender for the Saint-Brieuc project.
Ailes Marines will install 62 Siemens Gamesa 8 MW turbines mounted on jacket foundations off the coast of Northern France.
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