Spanish wind turbine-maker Siemens Gamesa has received an order to supply SG 8.0-167 DD, its newest 8MW offshore direct-drive turbines for the 500MW Saint Brieuc project located off of Bretagne coast in France.
The direct-drive turbines will replace Adwen's AD 8-180 model after the company has decided to focus on offshore direct drive platform.
Developer of the Saint Brieuc project, Ailes Marines decided to go ahead with Siemens Gamesa’s solution and this decision has been approved by the French Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, stated the turbine-maker.
Apart from the Saint Brieuc project, the company had also secured contracts for 500MW Dieppe/Le Tréport, 500MW Yeu/Noirmoutier and 24MW Provence Grand large projects. Overall, Siemens Gamesa will be supplier for about 1.524GW of projects in France accounting for a total of its 189 direct drive turbines to be installed.
Siemens Gamesa claims that its latest offshore direct-drive platform has a rotor diameter of 167 meters with blades that are nearly 82m in length and allow for 18% larger swept area and up to 20% higher annual energy generation than its predecessor SWT-7.0-154 model.
Siemens Gamesa Offshore CEO Andreas Nauen said: "This switch of technology for Saint Brieuc project is positive news for the project as well as for the whole industry. It demonstrates the leadership position of Siemens Gamesa in the offshore wind market in France.
“The strong dedication of our company to offer reliable and competitive solutions while contributing to the local economic and industrial development will allow offshore wind to become a motor of the energy transition in Bretagne."
Saint Brieuc project is expected to generate 1.85GWh of clean electricity every year by 2020, which will be supplied to at least 850,000 households.
In September, Siemens Gamesa had informed Ailes Marines about its decision to stop manufacturing of Adwen AD8 wind turbine. Adwen was selected as the turbine supplier for the wind farm back in 2014.
Image: Siemens Gamesa to supply 8MW turbines for Saint Brieuc project. Photo: Courtesy of Renewable Energy Systems Ltd.