The developer wpd onshore France, local subsidiary of German group Wind Project Development, inaugurated the Petit Doré wind farm on 20 June across Rostrenen, Kergrist-Moëlou, Plounévez-Quintin and Plouguernével in Côtes-d’Armor. The five turbines, each 165 m tall, total 18 MW and are expected to generate 39 200 MWh per year, enough to supply 34 000 residents, or 28 % of Kreiz-Breizh’s electricity demand. A crowdfunding campaign raised EUR436 000 ($471 000) from 127 neighbours, complementing the ten-year development effort launched in 2014. The site was connected to the regional grid at the end of May after commissioning tests.
Ten years of local consultation
The consultation phase began in July 2014 with a steering committee bringing together elected officials from the four municipalities and representatives of the Kreiz-Breizh Community of Municipalities (CCKB). This group held regular public meetings to present impact studies and refine turbine placement. In July 2020, an agreement with wpd set biannual meetings and validated an 18-month construction schedule carried out by 14 Breton companies up to commissioning.
During the inauguration, several hundred residents visited the base of a turbine, tried a virtual-reality headset and attended a concert. “At wpd, we make sure every wind farm benefits the territory by engaging local suppliers,” said Grégoire Simon, president of wpd onshore France. The company has already planted 425 m of hedgerows and plans for September the creation of soft-mobility paths linking the villages. A refurbishment of the GR37 trail is also scheduled for this autumn.
Tax revenue and outlook
Annual tax proceeds amount to EUR36 300 ($39 200) for Rostrenen, Kergrist-Moëlou and Plounévez-Quintin, EUR86 800 ($93 700) for the CCKB and EUR45 900 ($49 600) for the department. These sums will fund public facilities and mobility projects. The wind farm should avoid 33 200 t of carbon dioxide each year. Electricity will be sold under long-term contracts whose counterparties have not been disclosed.
