Wind energy: abandonment of a floating pilot project off Belle-Ile

Shell, which, with two partners, was to install a pilot site of floating wind turbines off Belle-Ile-en-Mer, has decided to abandon the project.

Share:

Shell which, with two partners, was to install off Belle-Ile-en-Mer a pilot site of floating wind turbines, decided to give up, because of the rise of the costs and difficulties related to the suppliers, according to an information of the Echos, confirmed to the AFP by the oil group.

300 million project was led by a consortium of Shell, with the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) and the Chinese CGN.

It was to allow the testing of three floating wind turbines, a technology seen as the future of offshore wind energy because it allows the installation of wind farms at greater depths, and therefore further from the coast, than wind turbines riveted to the seabed.

Three other floating pilot farms have been announced in France, all in the Mediterranean. For example, the floats of the project planned off Port-St-Louis-du-Rhône (Bouches-du-Rhône) were unveiled on Monday.

But the Breton project has run into two obstacles: the withdrawal of the turbine manufacturer General Electric, which was to supply the 6 megawatt (MW) wind turbines but has refocused on the manufacture of equipment that is now more powerful, and then the manufacturer of floats Naval Group, which has sold its floating wind activity, writes Les Echos.

Combined with the generalized cost increase and the energy crisis, this made it impossible to build a sustainable business model, adds the article, which Shell has confirmed.

Shell had taken over the project in 2019 by buying the company Eolfi, ex-subsidiary of Veolia and pioneer of the floating wind.

France, which is due to inaugurate its very first wind farm (80 wind turbines on the seabed) opposite Saint-Nazaire in a few days, is counting on floating technology to be able to meet its ambitions: some 40 gigawatts (about 50 farms) by 2050.

German group wpd takes over the teams and a portfolio of 17 wind projects from Calycé, consolidating its position in the French market and expanding its regional presence, particularly in the Grand Est, with the support of Envinergy.
SPIE Wind Connect partners with Van Oord to connect and test 21 high-voltage cables for the Windanker offshore wind farm, marking a key milestone in the development of Germany’s offshore wind sector.
Envision Energy and FERA Australia announce an agreement to develop up to 1 GW of wind and 1.5 GWh of storage on the Australian market, laying the foundation for a new hybrid power plant model.
German group RWE has completed installation of all 100 monopile foundations at Sofia, a 1.4 GW offshore wind farm located 195 kilometres from the British coast, marking a major step in the construction of the project.
Greece’s wind sector reaches a new milestone with 5.5 GW installed, driven by 37 new turbines and €180 mn in investments during the first half of 2025, according to ELETAEN.
Nomura Real Estate has signed a power purchase agreement for its new Tokyo headquarters with wpd and GPSS Group, supplying the Higashi Izu Furusato wind project with a capacity of 7.48 MW.
Energiequelle completes the commissioning of two Enercon E-160 turbines in Raßlitz, replacing previous models and increasing the installed capacity of the Saxony site more than fivefold.
Ørsted has completed a $2.75bn project financing with 25 banks and five export credit agencies for the 632 MW Greater Changhua 2 offshore wind farm in Taiwan, strengthening its industrial partnership strategy. —
Masdar and Iberdrola announce a joint investment of €5.2 billion in the East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm in the United Kingdom and full commissioning of the German Baltic Eagle project (476 MW).
Energiekontor AG has secured contracts for four wind projects with a total capacity of 125 megawatts, following the Federal Network Agency's May 2025 tender in Germany.
Ecopetrol S.A. finalises the acquisition of Wind Autogeneración from Enel S.A.S., thereby taking over the Windpeshi wind project in Colombia, with a planned capacity of 205 MW, aimed at the Colombian oil group's energy self-consumption.
Oceanic Wind Energy Inc. and Coast Tsimshian Enterprises Ltd. secured an exclusive investigative use permit in the Hecate Strait, paving the way for Canada's first major offshore wind project, targeting capacity of up to 700 MW.
German manufacturer Nordex will supply 13 N163/6.X wind turbines to developer SAB WindTeam for a 91 MW wind farm in Brandenburg, with commissioning scheduled for early 2027 and an extended 20-year service agreement.
EDF is delaying the start-up of the Calvados offshore wind farm by more than two years, citing extended adjustments to a drilling tool vital for installing the sixty-four monopile foundations off Courseulles-sur-Mer.
German company NeXtWind signs historic €1.4 billion debt financing to accelerate expansion and modernisation of its onshore wind farms and reach a total capacity of 3 GW by 2028.
Energy company TGS has won a major high-resolution geophysical imaging contract for offshore wind site characterization in Norway, strengthening its position in this rapidly growing market.
Iberdrola Australia secures crucial approval from Australian authorities to begin metocean studies for its 3GW Aurora Green offshore project off the coast of Victoria, marking a decisive stage in its development.
ENGIE begins full operation of the Red Sea Wind Energy wind farm in Egypt, increasing its capacity to 650 MW, four months ahead of schedule, now powering over one million homes in the region.
Tokyo Gas, through TOWII Renewables, a joint venture with EWII, purchases two onshore wind projects developed by Finnish company Puhuri, totalling 74.4 MW, marking its expansion beyond the Danish market.
The European Investment Bank grants EWE AG historic €450mn financing for the installation of 2,600 km of underground power lines and the upgrade of over 1,100 substations in Lower Saxony.