The inauguration of the wind farm in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc (Côtes-d’Armor) on Thursday 19 September marks the end of a Breton sea serpent. Few people remember the genesis of this field of 62 wind turbines erected more than sixteen kilometres from the coast and with a power of 496 megawatts capable of satisfying the electricity consumption of 835,000 people. This represents the equivalent of 9% of regional consumption.
President (on the left) of the Brittany region and a staunch supporter of the park, Loïg Chesnais-Girard recalls that, since the first call for tenders in 2011, the park file has passed through the hands of three Presidents of the Republic: “This project allowed us all to understand the technical complexity of such an installation, but also to measure its social acceptance. The question of coexistence must be at the heart of the consultation work.”
It must be said that the debates surrounding the wind farm were heated. Residents and local associations were the first to question the project, fearing its impact on marine flora and fauna, as well as birds. Various legal appeals delayed the start of the park without preventing it. The most recent opposition of NGOs such as Sea Shepherd has not allowed the general public to mobilize. Activists denouncing a “visual pollution”, predicted an outcry from residents when the flagpoles were erected in 2021.
“We should have hit harder”
Visible from Paimpol to Saint-Malo when the weather is fine, wind turbines have multiplied with relative indifference. “Anger and fear no longer make many people here talk. All of this is behind us.” Henri Labbé, mayor (of several centres) of Erquy, once very critical, points out. The elected official finally accepted this park which should generate 1.3 million euros of annual income for his municipality. The National and Regional Committee for Fisheries is also among the actors interested in energy production. These professional organisations should share around 900,000 euros per year.
This windfall, however, never appeased the anger of the fishermen working in the bay. Annoyed by the contraction of their area of activity and convinced of the harmful impact of the work on the fishing resource, the professionals were the most hostile towards the park. In 2021, they had even invested the 75 square kilometres of the wind farm to delay the start-up of the project by the manufacturer and operator Ailes Marines, a subsidiary of Iberdrola.
You have 41.82% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
