Le Havre. Offshore wind. Threats to the proposed construction of two plants at Le Havre – Normandy-news

Construction of the two plants dedicated to offshore wind on the dock Joannes Overcast, Havre, could be compromised, with the acquisition of Gamesa by Siemens . (© Enia architects).

The project is in the pipeline since 2011. Areva , the world leader in energy, then chose the city Havre (Seine-Maritime) to build its first two plants dedicated to offshore wind. Five years after many vicissitudes, the construction of these two plants could be compromised. The German group, Siemens , the leader in offshore wind, poised to buy the Spanish group, Gamesa , involved in the Le Havre project, opt for pure abandonment and simple this project

& gt. Read also : Aeolian 750 direct manufacturing jobs, Havre

little unhooked markets too in France

After the financial difficulties encountered by Areva in 2014, the global energy leader had approached the Spanish group Gamesa with which he created the joint venture Adwen , bringing the offshore wind projects La France. Areva had gotten three markets: in 2012, he won the first call for government tenders, the first wind farm of Saint-Brieuc (Côtes d’Armor) with a capacity of 500 megawatts. In 2014, after the second call, the group was assigned the fields of the Tréport (500 MW) in Seine-Maritime and of Noirmoutier (500 MW) in Vendée.

& gt; Read also : Offshore wind. In Le Havre, Areva and Adwen confirm the construction of two plants

Too little, according to the agency Reuters to Siemens . The German group, leader of the offshore market in Europe, considers insufficient the contracts obtained in France by Adwen . And announce not want to build factories.

“The government could cancel contracts”

But the allocation of French fields to Areva having been conditioned to this construction, “the government could cancel contracts with a combined value reaches nearly six billion,” says the agency Reuters .
“Developing its own turbines “ Siemens would not resume turbine technology Areva in Adwen intended to equip the French fields. A blow to the Havre, like Normandy. Since 2011, the city as the region vibrate to the idea of ​​the emergence of a new industry and job creation. The construction project, Le Havre, two factories, one blade of construction, the other nacelle assembly, was accompanied in 2011 the announcement of the creation of 750 direct jobs.
All economic and institutional partners have mobilized to best accommodate this new development windfall. In addition to plants, Areva evoked the construction of a center for research and development in Rouen. The Haute-Normandie Region, at the time, organized it, the emergence of training related trades offshore wind. The port and many of its partners signed in January 2014, a financing agreement of the preparatory work to home factories on Clear Joannes dock. An agreement in the amount of 57.4 million euros … Public money was widely mobilized.