France Expands Offshore Wind Power – Ocean Winds Installs Final Turbine at Îles d’Yeu et Noirmoutier Wind Farm
Vendée (France) – France is continuing to push forward with the expansion of offshore wind energy: developer Ocean Winds has installed the final wind turbine at the Îles d’Yeu et Noirmoutier (EMYN) offshore wind farm, completing construction. The 488 MW project has now entered full operation.
Îles d’Yeu et Noirmoutier Offshore Wind Farm Fully Connected to the Grid
The wind farm consists of 61 offshore wind turbines from Siemens Gamesa, each with a capacity of 8 MW, resulting in a total capacity of 488 MW. According to the operator, the wind farm generates enough electricity annually to supply around 800,000 people. The wind farm had already been gradually connected to the grid since June 2025.
Company statements indicate that the project was completed in less than three years of offshore construction, despite difficult weather conditions and a challenging industrial environment. It is the first fully operational offshore wind farm by Ocean Winds in France.
During the construction phase, around 2,400 direct and indirect jobs were created, according to the company. Contributors included turbine manufacturing by Siemens Gamesa in Le Havre and the construction of the offshore substation platform by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire.
For operation and maintenance, around 80 permanent jobs will now be created, including 66 on Yeu Island.
Further Offshore Projects by Ocean Winds in France
Ocean Winds views the commissioning as an important milestone for its expansion in the French offshore market. In France, the company is also developing the Dieppe–Le Tréport offshore wind farm.
The completion of the project comes at a time of accelerated offshore expansion in France. The country currently has an installed offshore wind capacity of around 2 GW and is planning significant further growth in the coming years.
Source: IWR Online, 30 Apr 2026
