A £1.8 BILLION wind farm off the Brittany coast that is visible from Jersey generated its first electricity for the French grid this week.
Stretching up to 200 metres in height, the first wind turbines in the St Brieuc offshore project have begun to turn, and on Wednesday this power made its way into France’s mainland electricity system via undersea cables.
Lying 23 miles south-west of Jersey, the project has sparked considerable interest in the Channel Islands, with politicians from both Jersey and Guernsey expressing interest in exploring options for a similar scheme that could potentially supply both jurisdictions, with capacity to spare.
Last month, Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf said Jersey remained ‘very committed’ to a wind farm project, which could be completed within eight years.
Norwegian renewables firm Equinor recently visited Guernsey for two days of talks, while Emmanuel Rollin, general manager of Iberdrola – the company behind the St Brieuc project – told the JEP last year that he would be interested in exploring options in the Channel Islands.
Following the British-Irish Council summit hosted last month, offshore wind was mentioned as one of the areas of joint focus in a message issued by the Chief Ministers of Jersey and Guernsey.
Mr Rollin described the start of electricity generation as ‘a milestone symbol of 12 years of effort to carry out this gigantic project’.
He added: ‘It will contribute both to Brittany’s energy sovereignty and energy transition, and be a key element in the battle against climate change.’
