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Construction of a large windfarm just over 20 miles from Jersey has been completed this week, as a consultation over a similar project for the island nears its mid-point.
The completion of the construction phase of the $2.1 billion (£1.8bn) St Brieuc project, 23 miles south-west of Corbière, came last weekend, as a vessel transported the final turbine blades from Le Havre to the site and the blades were installed on the last of 62 bases that are set in the sea bed.
By the end of March, the French farm will be fully operational, with its capacity of 496 megawatts representing sufficient power to cover 9% of Brittany's total electricity consumption.
The possibility of a similar, but potentially larger, facility in Jersey waters has moved closer during 2023, with Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf sharing his enthusiasm for such a project. He said the venture would be privately funded and generate far more energy than Jersey would need, allowing the surplus to be sold to other jurisdictions.
A consultation exercise began on 10 November and is running for 14 weeks, with islanders invited to contribute their thoughts as to whether Jersey should proceed to the next stage. The initial outcome of the consultation will be published prior to a debate in the States Assembly next spring.
CLICK TO ENLARGE: A photorealistic representation of how a wind farm might look.
At a recent public meeting in his home parish of St Brelade, Deputy Renouf countered observations from attendees about the negative visual impact of a wind farm. He pointed out that there is already a facility of this type – the St Brieuc project – visible on the horizon, but that Jersey extracted no benefit from this, unlike the potential economic benefits of the scheme he is advocating.
The St Brieuc wind farm covers an area of some 75sq-km – around two-thirds the size of Jersey, with the turbines arranged in seven rows 1,300m apart with 1,000m between each raised platform.
The turbines – made up of a 90m mast and three 80m-long blades – are fixed to platform which rise about 30m above the water level.
The project is one of four offshore farms being developed by the French in response to global warming and the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and increase renewable-energy production.
Pictured: A map released by the Government shows where a wind farm could be situated, if the concept is supported by islanders.
Stéphane Alain Riou, offshore wind director of Iberdrola France, said his company had now developed four wind farms in Europe and was currently building the East Anglia 3 park in the UK, with a capacity of 1.4 GW and the Vineyard project in the United States, expected to generate 800 MW.
"In total, Iberdrola has invested more than 10 billion euros to fully finance its offshore wind farms around the world and install them within the announced deadlines," he said.
Iberdrola is one of the companies to have previously expressed interest in talking to Jersey about the potential for a scheme here.
There had previously been discussions over whether the Channel Islands might collaborate on green energy initiatives, such as a wind farm to achieve economies of scale. However, the idea was recently thrown out by Guernsey politicians following a debate that saw several examples of poor relations between the islands raised.
Nonetheless, Jersey's Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf recently told Express that he was still open to the idea – but that the ball is "very much in Guernsey's court".
Those wanting to take part in the consultation for the proposed Jersey project can visit the consultations section of the Government website.
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