FRANCE - Macron stressed that France needs to get serious about renewable energy and speed up processes.

Iberdrola has announced its first large-scale offshore wind power project in Brittany. The company designed the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm, the first large-scale offshore wind farm in Brittany and one of the first in France to obtain all the necessary government permits for its construction and operation.

With an investment of 2.4 billion euros ($2.34 billion) it is estimated that, once commercialisation begins in 2023, it will produce 1,820 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, which will supply energy to 835,000 people.

This will be possible thanks to a total installed capacity of 496 megawatts (MW) from 62 turbines each generating 8 MW of power.

According to Energy world, French President Emmanuel Macron, who said in February that he wants France to have about 50 offshore wind farms by 2050, was visiting the country's project which took ten years to build and which started being connected to the grid this month.

"It still takes too much time in France," Macron said, adding that he wants to halve the time it takes to develop renewable energy projects.

Macron stressed that France needs to get serious about renewable energy and speed up processes, including slashing down how long it takes for judicial authorities to examine complaints local communities often file against such projects. He said that while the government was encouraging more energy sobriety, France would have to massively increase its electricity generating capacity as it wants to phase out the use of fossil fuel and replace it with low-carbon power.

"To do this, we will need about 40 percent more electricity by 2050," Macron said.

Source: Iberdrola and Energy world