Although they are not very popular in France, wind turbines benefit from the energy transition and the French sector is taking off.
Wind turbines do not have good press in France. But, energy transition requires, the sector is finally about to take off.
Who likes wind turbines? Not many people. In Germany, where there are many more than here, public opinion tolerates them less and less. And yet, the sector is actually taking off. Certainly, we start from very low since the totality of the wind turbines installed on all the French territory represent only 15 megawatts. To locate orders of magnitude, an EPR reactor is 1600 megawatts, more than 100 times more. But this industrial sector is starting to grow, it already represents 18,000 jobs and aims for 40,000 jobs by 2030, including many highly qualified jobs as engineers.
Does this development in particular involve offshore wind?
Yes, offshore. They see themselves less and, above all, we can install giant machines. Today, for administrative reasons, there are no offshore wind turbines in France while we have 3,500 kilometers of coastline. But that does not stop the industry from growing. The General Electric plants in Saint Nazaire and Cherbourg (which manufacture giant wind turbines with blades longer than a football pitch) have won several very large contracts abroad. EDF should put its first offshore wind turbines into service in 2022. Little by little, a whole new industrial sector is emerging with many jobs at stake. What to overcome, perhaps, the reluctance of the general public.