Ocean Winds, a joint venture dedicated to offshore wind energy founded by EDP Renewables and ENGIE, announced the installation of the first turbine of the Îles d’Yeu et de Noirmoutier (EMYN) offshore wind farm. The operation marks the start of the project’s final construction phase, which will eventually comprise 61 Siemens Gamesa turbines rated at 8 MW each. Full delivery of the wind farm is scheduled by the end of 2025.
Coordinated port and offshore operations
The turbines are pre-assembled at the Port of Saint-Nazaire before offshore installation by Belgian company Jan De Nul, using its specialised vessel Vole au vent. The project relies on a European supply chain, with 95% of Tier 1 suppliers based in Europe and over 50% located in France. The nacelles and blades are manufactured at the Siemens Gamesa facility in Le Havre.
According to Marc Hirt, Ocean Winds’ Country Manager for France, this milestone reflects the efficiency of the industrial synergies built around the project. Installations will continue through September, on a schedule designed to meet the commissioning deadline.
Maintenance team structuring on Yeu Island
Once operational, the EMYN wind farm will generate 85 long-term direct jobs. Around 60 of these roles will be based on the island of Yeu, focusing on operation and maintenance activities. Required skill sets will cover a wide range of technical functions, from turbine intervention to remote system supervision.
Frédéric Flaus, EMYN Project Director, stated that this initial installation validates the technical and logistical processes developed for future equipment maintenance. Monitoring, inspection, and structural access procedures have been integrated from this stage.
Logistical preparation and long-term monitoring
Over 1,500 direct and indirect jobs have been mobilised during the construction phase, including approximately 1,000 at Siemens Gamesa’s Le Havre production facilities. As the installation phase advances, logistics and maintenance teams are already preparing monitoring protocols to ensure the long-term performance of the wind farm.
Ocean Winds currently has four offshore wind projects under development or construction in France, representing a total combined capacity of 1.3 GW. The EMYN farm will contribute to this strategy with a capacity of 496 MW, enough to supply nearly 800,000 people.
