Following the call for tenders for offshore wind energy launched in July by the French government, Alstom says it is planning to establish two sites dedicated to the production and assembly of components for 6 MW of offshore wind turbines in the port areas of Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique) and Cherbourg (Manche), France.
Alstom plans to establish an offshore engineering center in Saint-Nazaire for nacelle and generator manufacturing. The other site, in Cherbourg, will be for the production of blades and towers, and would be the result of a partnership with LM Wind Power.
Following an in-depth consultation phase, Alstom chose these two large French ports based on the quality of their infrastructure, the ease of access to the wind farms prescribed by the call for tenders, the mechanisms for support for investment established by the local authorities, and the existence of industrial know-how and the ability to create a dense industrial network focused on offshore wind power, the company explains.
These projects will allow the production of the Haliade 150, which Alstom says is the first new-generation 6 MW offshore wind turbine.
