Normandy Ports, GE Sign Energy Partnership

11 Oct 2019 | Industry News

Breakbulk Export for World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm

Offshore engineering specialist GE Renewable Energy has signed a long-term partnership with Ports of Normandy for the breakbulk handling of 400 wind turbines.
 
The turbines are to be manufactured in GE’s factory in Cherbourg, following the award of a contract naming GE Renewable Energy as preferred supplier for large-scale offshore wind projects in the UK.
 
“These two projects are excellent news for Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and for Normandy. They are the demonstration of GE Renewable Energy’s professionalism and their investment in France for the production of wind turbines and rotor blades. They are also a bolster to the investments made in the port of Cherbourg (€60 million) by the local authorities and piloted by Ports of Normandy,” said Jean-Louis Valentin, president of Cotentin.


Haliade-X

GE was selected by Dogger Bank as the preferred supplier for three 1.2 gigawatts projects in the UK. This will include breakbulk transport and installation of the Haliade-X, the most powerful offshore wind turbine in world.
 
The 12 megawatt Haliade-X features the world’s first 220-meter rotor, a 107-meter blade designed by LM Wind Power, and digital capabilities.
 
“In addition to being the most powerful offshore wind turbine, the Haliade-X will also be the most efficient of wind turbines in the ocean [featuring] a 63 percent capacity factor—five to seven points above industry standard,” a spokesperson for GE said.


Work Scheduled for 2023

Located 130 kilometer off the Yorkshire coast. The first phase of the Dogger Bank project will form part of the largest offshore wind farm in the world. It is scheduled to be underway in 2023.

“Hundreds of direct jobs are guaranteed for at least five years, as well as work for numerous subcontractors. To date this is one of the most iconic cases of export development of state-of-the-art technology at the very heart of global energy transition,” Valentin added.

Comprising 100 hectares dedicated to Marine Renewable Energies and two forthcoming maintenance sites, the authority is owner and administrator of the ports of Caen-Ouistreham, Cherbourg, and Dieppe.
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